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DOGS AS HOME COMPANIONS 



Dogs 



as 



Home Companions 



A BOOK FOR ALL 
DOG LOVERS 



¥ 



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BY 

A? F^HOCHWALT 

AUTHOR OF 
Dogcraft," "The Pointer and the Setter in America, 
"The Modern Pointer," "The Modern Setter," "The 
Working Dog and His Education," "Practical 
Dog Keeping for the Amateur," "The Aire- 
dale for Work and Show," "Arrows of 
Ambition," etc. 



1922 

Sportsman's Digest 

Cincinnati, Ohio 






JUL 26 1922 

©CI.AR77655 



Copyright, 1922 
Sportsman's Digest 
All Rights Reserved 



DEDICATION. 

To all the many men, women and chil- 
dren scattered about over all the world, 
who love dogs and keep one or more as 
their home companions. 

"And in that town a dog was found, 
As many dogs there he, 
Both mongrel, i>uj>{>y, whelfi and hound 
And curs of low degree" — Goldsmith. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

Chapter I. 
Suitable Breeds. Group One — Toys.. 1 

Chapter II. 

Suitable Breeds. Group Two— Ter- 
riers IG 

Chapter III. 

Suitable Breeds. Group Three — 
Medium-Sized Dogs 45 

Chapter IV. 
Housing- Problems 67 

Chapter V. 
Becoming Acquainted — Early Lessons 76 

Chapter VI. 

The Food Question — When to Feed — 
Frequency of Feeding — Water SI 

Chapter VII. 
Exercise — Grooming — Washing 94 

Chapter VIII. 
I f Sickness Comes 105 



Dogs as Home Companions 
By A. F. Hochwalt. 

INTRODUCTION. 

lWTOST people are interested in 
^V* dumb animals, but every nor- 
mal person loves a dog; it is the 
heritage of the ages. The man or the 
woman who hates a good dog is ab- 
normal. There is something funda- 
mentally wrong in their psychical 
makeup. How often we hear of peo- 
ple of this class who say they can see 
nothing friendly or desirable in any 
dog; that they are all alike; vicious 
and treacherous. The story of the 
man who writes articles in newspa- 
pers and pamphlets advocating the 
destruction of all dogs because they 
are a menace to mankind is a com- 
mon one in every part of the world. 
A story is told of one of this class — 
a New England money lender — who 
took great pains to besmirch the char- 
acter of the dog in public and private. 
His contention was that any dog 



would bite, and as proof, circulated 
a story that a little nondescript dog 
actually followed him aboard a street 
car and bit a piece out of his leg! 
Perhaps this is the truth and on the 
other hand, it may be manufactured 
out of the whole cloth, but it is to be 
hoped that it is so, for it only proves 
what keen perceptions dogs have. 
Every dog recognizes his friends 
among humankind with one glance 
at a person's face. The dog is a better 
student of human nature than any 
other animal — biped or otherwise — 
and the dog that shuns one person 
and loves another knows from in- 
stinct and perception how to distrib- 
ute his likes and dislikes. Therefore, 
those who see nothing but viciousness 
in the canine race have no one but 
themselves to blame; the dog knows 
his enemies at sight. To that class 
who are dog haters, this book is not 
addressed and they are advised to lay 
it aside before going farther. 

There are many, however, who love 
dogs, who understand them and ap- 
preciate their many good qualities, 
for Dogs as Home Companions, have 
been cherished since time immemo- 



rial. A dog is like one of the family 
in many a household, for those who 
really understand him are aware that 
mentally he is not far removed from 
the human race, and emotionally is 
practically the latter's equal. 

Perhaps some may smile at this as- 
sertion, but nevertheless it is a fact. 

This book is for the dog lover; not 
he who raises dogs for show purposes 
or as a commercial pursuit, though 
that is a most laudable enterprise, 
but he who loves the companionship 
of an intelligent dog and appreciates 
him for his real qualities as a home 
companion. As guardian of the 
house, a faithful ally to share in the 
joys and the sorrows of the house- 
hold ; or as a boon companion of the 
children. In short, a dog which is, 
to all intents and purposes, "one of 



us." 



There are many people in the 
world, of this class, and as many more 
who would have a dog, if they knew 
how to keep one, for deep down in 
their subconsciousness the love of the 
dog is there. To those, this book may 
be of help ; it may prove that a dog 
in the home is like a regenerating in- 



iluence; and many a family needs 
regeneration. 

There are still many more who feel 
that they would like a dog for home 
and children if one could be kept in 
the city in a satisfactory manner. It 
is true that the dweller in flats could 
not have a St. Bernard or a Great 
Dane tagging about with him, but in 
many a flat small dogs are harbored 
and live their lives in the companion- 
ship of their human friends as hap- 
pily, if not more so, than those dogs 
which live in kennels. 

I have no brief for the hot-house 
dog, however, or those that are not 
living at least part of the time in the 
open, if it is necessary to give him the 
entire run of the house, the best 
chairs to lounge upon day and night, 
or perchance, the center of a nice, 
clean counterpane in the best bed- 
room. That is not my idea of keeping 
a dog, but nevertheless there is no 
reason why any person should live a 
dogless life simply because his home 
is in the city. 

The dog lover, intending to become 
the owner of the dog, should first con- 
sider the facilities he has for keeping 



one and after the pros and cons have 
been carefully gone over, when a 
thorough inventory of the situation 
has been taken, then he should decide 
what breed is best suited for his par- 
ticular case. That is the object of 
this book; to investigate the various 
breeds suitable for city life, to point 
out the best way to care for the dog in 
health and in disease and to give such 
little hints about dog keeping that 
the novice or one-dog owner may put 
to good use under any contingency 
that may arise during the life of his 
pet. 



CHAPTER I. 

Suitable Breeds. Group One — Toys. 

1\ /TUCH depends upon the environ- 
^* A ment of the prospective dog 
owner, as to what breed he may satis- 
factorily adopt for his home. Dwell- 
ers in city flats or those living where 
yard room is circumscribed by nar- 
row limits, could not think of a St. 
Bernard, a Great Dane, a blood- 
hound, or, even the medium-sized 
breeds, consequently it becomes man- 
ifest that he must make his choice 
from among the toys or smaller va- 
rieties. Suburbanites and others liv- 
ing on country places, on the other 
hand, may prefer a more serviceable- 
looking dog than the diminutive, but 
alert specimens that come under the 
head of toys, consequently, to aid the 
novice in making his selection of a 
suitable canine home companion, I 
have classified the most popular 
breeds in groups according to their 
size and general characteristics. 



Dogs as Home Companions 




THE PEKINGESE SPANIEL, TY TOU. 

Pre-eminent among the small va- 
rieties is the fashionable Pekingese. 
He is, in the strict classification a toy, 
it is true. The reader may sneer at 
the word "toy" and fancy that the 
Peke, as he is popularly called, is as 
useless and difficult to rear as the 
proverbial hot-house plant, but such 
is not the case. He is a hard, strong, 
easy-to-raise animal, and one of the 
gamest for his inches of any breed in 
existence. His shaggy mane, resem- 
bling that of a lion, his dark markings 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 3 

about muzzle and eyes, and his tawny 
coat, together with his sturdy frame, 
suggest a big little dog, and he is all 
of that. He makes an excellent watch 
dog, because he is always keen and 
alert and the slightest noise day or 
night will cause him to give the signal 
by his loud and rather raucous bark. 
There is something formidable look- 
ing about the Peke as he approaches 
the stranger, who dares invade the 
sacred precincts of his mistress or 
master, and as an alarm there are 
few small dogs that are superior. 

The Pekingese sprang into popu- 
larity within the last twenty years, 
though he is said to be one of the 
oldest of Chinese breeds, from which 
country he was introduced into Eng- 
land and then to America where he 
soon became the vogue, and some of 
the wealthy people of the East paid 
almost fabulous figures for good speci- 
mens. While prices are now more 
within reason for good specimens, the 
Peke cannot be classed as a "poor 
man's dog," although it is possible, 
nowadays, to go to some of the ken- 



4 Dogs as Home Companions 

nels making this breed a specialty and 
buy a "waster" at a reasonable figure. 
By waster is meant a specimen that, 
while true to his blood characteristics 
and in every sense as well bred as the 
winners, is not good enough to win 
on the bench. The person buying a 
Peke for a companion only, however, 
will get as much satisfaction in owning 
a well-bred non-winner as he probably 
would if he had a great champion. 
At the present time the fancy is breed- 
ing them as small as possible and the 
larger ones are not in as great de- 
mand, though they often come weigh- 
ing as high as eighteen pounds when 
matured. The novice dog-owner 
would not find a fifteen to eighteen- 
pound Pekingese objectionable, how- 
ever, for a house dog, though as a 
show performer he would likely be 
unnoticed. As a matter of fact, the 
fancy is now breeding them so small 
that their usefulness as a house dog 
is practically bred away. In buying 
specimens of this breed for house 
companions I would suggest one go- 
ing over the ten-pound weight. First 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 5 

because breeders will always gladly 
dispose of those that "come large" 
at a more reasonable figure, and sec- 
ondly because they are more hardy 
and useful. It is the under ten-pound 
weight specimens that are the show 
dogs, and the smaller the better, it 
seems. 

The Pomeranian is another dog 
which came into popularity within 
the past quarter of a century and is 
a close second to the Peke as a show 
dog today. The Pomeranian is a 
smaller edition of the old-time white 
Spitz dogs which were so popular 
about forty or fifty years ago. In 
breeding them down to the present 
size I have my doubts of the good that 
was accomplished, though there is no 
gainsaying the fact that a good Pom- 
eranian of the very small type is a 
"foxy" specimen in the show ring. 
They come in all colors ; black, sable 
white, blue mottled and in fact, in 
any shade imaginable. Indeed it has 
been said that the fashionable thing 
nowadays for ladies is to have a Pom 
of every shade to match their gowns, 



6 Dogs as Hume Companions 

though this is somewhat overdrawn, 
notwithstanding the numerous colors 
to be obtained. 

The novice, buying a Pom for a 
companion only, and not for show, 
will be able to secure one of the larger 
specimens at a reasonable price much 
more readily than he would the very 
small ones, for, as in the case of the 
Pekes, the smaller the dog the better 
the show specimen, though naturally 
the animal must possess show points. 
"Foxy" in appearance describes the 
Pomeranian to a nicety. With full, 
fluffy coat, bushy tail, carried over 
an extremely short back, sharp nose, 
snappy, small black eyes and an erect 
ear, he is in every sense of the word 
a dog with a fox-like expression. At 
shows they are usually classified as 
dogs not exceeding eight pounds and 
those over this weight, though the 
larger the dog, the less chances he has 
of winning. For utility purposes, the 
overweight dogs will answer as well, 
if not better than the extremely small 
show specimens. Pomeranians, if 
properly reared, after once attaining 
maturity are usually hardy. 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 



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THE BLENHEIM SPANIEL, CH. ROLLO. 

The English Toy Spaniel, though a 
very handsome, long-coated animal, 
is not quite so popular as the two fore- 
going breeds, but they are as easily 
reared, provided they do not come 
from stock that has been pampered 
by generations of coddling. The 
breed is divided into four varieties: 
the Blenheim, or white and orange; 
the Prince Charles, or tri-color (white, 



8 Dogs as Home Companions 

black and tan); the ruby, or red; 
and the King Charles, or black and 
tan. All are equally handsome, but 
as a rule they are not as alert, or 
active, nor do I think as intelligent, 
as some of the other breeds, though 
there are exceptions and I have seen 
specimens of these varieties, reared 
in out-door kennels and accustomed 
to exercising in the open, winter and 
summer, that proved to be hardy and 
as active as a sporting spaniel. This 
is the exception rather than the rule, 
however, for many specimens will be 
encountered that are very poor 
movers. 

The Japanese Spaniel at one time 
gave indications of becoming a very 
popular toy breed, but was super- 
seded by the Pekes and Poms. No 
doubt much of this was due to the fact 
that the Japs are not a particularly 
hardy breed, they are more of the real 
lap-dog genus than most any of the 
toy varieties ; they lack in action and 
seem to be well content to lie in a 
basket of silk cushions most of their 
lives, or preferably in the laps of their 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 9 

fond mistresses. In appearance they 
resemble somewhat the English Toy 
Spaniels, though less sprightly, as a 
general thing. The Jap carries his 
tail or plume over his back while that 
of the toy spaniel is docked. The 
color, according to the standard, may 
be black and white, red and white, or 
parti-colored. The term red in this 
instance includes all shades of sable, 
brindle, lemon and orange, but the 
brighter the colors the more desirable 
the specimen. The white ground 
should be a pure chalk white, not of 
the milky or creamy color often seen 
in other breeds. At large shows the 
classification is divided under seven 
pounds and over seven pounds, and 
it may be readily observed that a 
Japanese spaniel under seven pounds 
will not make a very formidable 
guardian of the home. 

The Toy Poodle, while never taking 
the dog-world by storm, has held his 
own for many years. He is a very 
active dog, inclined to be cross and 
snappy very frequently, and therefore 
an uncertain equation with children, 



10 Dogs as Home Companions 

but he is very keen and the slightest 
noise will attract his attention. The 
standard calls for dogs under ten 
pounds in weight for the toy varieties, 
though there is a large poodle, which, 
however, does not come within the 
scope of this group. The toy poodle, 
while not as hardy as some breeds, 
can nevertheless stand considerable 
hardships and when he is reared like 
his larger brethren and not petted and 
pampered until health and vitality 
are gone, he is an easy dog to keep. 
The greatest objection some have to 
him is, that because his coat is white 
he is difficult to care for, which to a 
certain extent, is the truth. His coat 
should be curly, but wiry in texture. 
In action the dog is quick, proud and 
graceful. 

The Italian Greyhound is another 
old breed ; in fact he is one of the old- 
est among the toys. He is in every 
sense of the word, a miniature grey- 
hound and good specimens are ex- 
tremely graceful. Because of his short 
coat and his generally slight appear- 
ance he is a dog that will not permit of 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 11 

much exposure, though those who 
breed them say that the Italian grey- 
hound will stand the cold and the in- 
clement winter of the north as well 
as any of the toy breeds, which state- 
ment is rather doubtful. For a clean, 
neat dog about the house, however, 
he is very commendable. In the mat- 
ter of intelligence he does not grade 
up with some of the other varieties 
described, although he is very alert 
and watchful. 

The Toy Black and Tan Terrier is 
another breed that is rather difficult 
to rear, although his short black and 
tan soft coat commends him as an 
indoor dog, for he is clean at all times 
and only a slight brushing once a day 
will keep him in condition. They 
have been breeding this variety so 
small that most of the specimens seen 
at the present time, have become ap- 
ple-headed and they are as lacking in 
intelligence as they are in appearance. 
However, a black and tan weighing 
over ten pounds makes an excellent 
dog, many of them becoming keen 
ratters, though it is to be understood 



12 Dogs as Home Companions 

that the small ones would not do for 
that purpose. Personally, if I wished 
to have a black and tan at all, I should 
take the Manchester, of which the toy 
black and tan is a miniature. The 
breed is not very popular in this coun- 
try or England at the present time. 

Among the toy terrier varieties 
must be included also, the Yorkshire, 
the Maltese and the kindred varieties. 
These are very pretty specimens for 
the fancier of oddities, but they re- 
quire untold care to keep them in con- 
dition, both as to coat and flesh, hence 
the time spent upon them as house 
companions is scarcely worth the re- 
turns that one obtains. 

The Brussel Griffon is another 
foreign dog that seemed to evoke con- 
siderable interest some years ago, but 
this breed also is an oddity. He is a 
monkey-faced, hard-coated dog with 
the pronounced whisker and the gen- 
eral wire appearance of broken- 
coated terriers. His weight ranges to 
nine pounds as the maximum for 
"big" dogs, while for the smaller vari- 
eties, it is six pounds. It may readily 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 13 

be seen from this that the breed is 
more ornamental than useful, but a 
livelier, more active little dog cannot 
be imagined than this diminutive grif- 
fon whose place of origin is said to be 
Belgium. 




THE SCHIPPERCKE, TOGO. 

Another Belgian dog is the Schip- 
percke, a terrier-like animal of about 
ten pounds in weight. Very fiery and 
quick to take offense, he is not a suit- 
able dog for children, but as a watch 
dog he will give the alarm at the 
slightest noise ; furthermore, he is not 
averse to backing up his bark with his 



It Dogs as Home Companions 

bite. He is a very faithful dog, and 
once he becomes attached to one per- 
son or a family, he will remain faith- 
ful unto death. That is one of the 
features that appeals to most of us 
and one is apt to forgive his short- 
comings. Very few kennels are now 
breeding this variety in America. The 
dog is black in color, with a wiry-like 
coat, and a well pronounced mane. 
His nose is sharp, his eyes small and 
black and his ears erect. The dog is 
a tailless variety; although only a 
small percentage of the puppies are 
born with this mutilation. The oth- 
ers have their tails removed, or gouged 
out when they are quite young, in 
fact this should be done before they 
leave their dam. In selecting a puppy 
it is well to take one with not a show 
of white hair and see that the ears 
are small, the back short, the coat 
dense, the eyes well set, and showing 
that "foxy" expression which is so 
characteristic of this breed and the 
Pomeranian. 

The Pug, once a very popular breed, 
has now practically gone out of vogue, 



Suitable Breeds — Toys 15 

although indications point to its re- 
suscitation. The breed, speaking in 
broad terms, is not a particularly in- 
telligent one, though the dog's short 
coat, his cleanly habits, and his gen- 
erally odd appearance stamped him 
one of the favorites of three decades 
ago, and it is possible that he may re- 
turn to favor once more. 



CHAPTER II. 

Suitable Breeds. Group Two — Terriers. 

'T^HE terrier family is a large one 
-*- in all its ramifications, and the 
embryo dog lover, wishing to possess 
one of this variety will have a wide 
field to go over. The terrier should 
have more action than the toy vari- 
eties and if it is possible, a place 
should be provided where he can romp 
out of doors for at least two or three 
hours a day. If that is not feasible, 
then he must be taken to some park 
or open place where he can run and 
exercise, for a terrier that is kept con- 
fined is as entirely out of his environ- 
ment as a fish would be out of water. 
Among the many breeds of terriers, 
there are a number which enjoy equal 
popularity. The Boston Terrier is the 
great American product ; he is strictly 
an evolution of this country and has 
grown in popularity in keeping with 
his qualities. The Boston is a clean, 
well-knit dog of trappy appearance, 
with a short head that is a mean be- 
tween the bulldog and the terrier ex- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 17 




K EARNS LORD KITCHENER. 



pression, if such a thing can be. He 
comes in various weights up to 
twenty five pounds, and, as a matter 
of fact, one finds them going as high 
as thirty and thirty-five, for the Bos- 
ton is a mixture and does not always 
throw true to type. The present ac- 
cepted dictum is, however, that the 
maximum weight should be twenty- 
live pounds. At dog shows the 
weights are divided by classes under 
fifteen pounds, fifteen pounds and 



18 Dogs as Home Companions 

under twenty, twenty pounds and not 
exceeding twenty-five. The demand 
for the smaller weights seems greatest, 
but one finds more uniformity in the 
medium weights — that is, from fif- 
teen to twenty pounds. The Boston 
terrier may be good for no practical 
purposes, but he is alert and will prove 
to be a fair guardian of the home. The 
appeal with this dog is his absolute 
trimness, his clean cut appearance, 
and his short coat. For people living 
in flats he is one of the most desirable 
dogs. In purchasing one of this breed 
it is well to see the dog before paying 
the money. While there are unscru- 
pulous dealers of all breeds, it seems 
that more irresponsible people have 
taken up the sale of this breed than 
any other. I do not mean by this 
that there are not a large number of 
very responsible breeders, but it is the 
dealer — the vendor of dogs — whose 
word cannot always be taken at face 
value, therefore, in buying any breed, 
see that you are obtaining what you 
are paying for, and in buying a Bos- 
ton, be sure of it from every angle. 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 19 




THE SMOOTH-COATED FOX TERRIER, 
CH. SABINE RECRUIT. 

Fox Terriers, both wire-haired and 
smooth, are also very popular in this 
country, the former probably more 
so at the present time than the 
latter, although the smooth is much 
more easily kept, is just as keen 
and alert, makes a varmint dog 
the equal of any, and as a house 
companion has many advantages 
over his wire-haired cousin; the 
latter is a beautiful dog when his 
coat is kept just right, but if not, he 
is an abomination. Incidentally it 



20 Dogs as Home Companions 

may be said that it is both a science 
and an art to keep the coats of any of 
the broken-haired varieties of ter- 
riers in good order. 




THE WIRE-HAIRED FOX TERRIER, 
CH. PRIDE'S HILL TWEAK 'EM. 



In temperamental characteristics 
there is little difference, if any, be- 
tween the smooth and the wire-haired 
varieties, and if the dog is to be kept 
in the house mostly, perhaps the 
former would prove more satisfac- 
tory. Prices of both of these varieties 
have been soaring: here of late, but 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 21 

this refers only to the show specimens. 
It is always possible to procure a 
"waster" either because he does not 
conform to the show standard in the 
finer points, is oversize, or for some 
other reason. The fox terrier, as in 
fact practically all terriers, except the 
toy varieties and possibly Bostons, 
are men's dogs, and they can furnish 
considerable sport if they are trained 
on various kinds of "varmints." In 
this connection it might be said that 
they take to this class of work very 
readily, as they have been specifically 
bred for this purpose since the earliest 
days. 

The Irish Terrier, is a wire-coated 
dog, usually brick red or wheaten in 
color. He is a handsome dog, but 
like the wire-haired fox terrier, his 
coat must be kept right. For game- 
ness, there are few terriers his equal 
and he has been rightly named "Dare- 
devil." The Irish terrier is a trifle 
larger in size than the fox terrier. He 
has all of that varminty look, that 
fiery eye and alert expression, indi- 



22 



Dogs as J fame Companions 




THE IRISH TERRIER, CELTIC DEMON. 



cative of the dog of quick action, and 
furthermore, he is a most intelligent 
animal and makes one of the best dogs 
for the home that may be imagined. 
Since the rise in popularity of some 
of the other smaller terrier breeds, the 
Irish has fallen somewhat in the esti- 
mation of the fanciers, but those 
who have bred him for years and 
have a specimen or two about would 
not part with the fiery Irishman for 
all of the other terriers combined. 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 23 

The Irish terrier answers in many 
respects the call for an all-purpose 
dog, except that he is not so large as 
the Airedale and therefore could not 
hold his own in fighting big game, 
though for his inches, no better dog 
ever lived, and I have, on one or two 
occasions, seen Irish terriers in bear 
packs which proved to be just as valu- 
able as some of the larger breeds; 
they were certainly just as game, and 
being very quick and shifty, they 
could do considerable damage and 
still come away uninjured, where a 
larger dog might suffer the conse- 
quences of his temerity. The Irish 
terrier is essentially the dog for those 
who do not care to keep an Airedale, 
but want one as game and as fearless 
as any dog that lives. 

Still another breed that comes be- 
tween the small terriers and the Aire- 
dale is the Welsh Terrier. A dog that 
in many points resembles the Aire- 
dale, particularly in texture and color 
of coat, although the head is of some- 
what different formation. Welsh ter- 
riers never became common in this 



24 Dogs as Home Companions 

country. Possibly because of the 
rapid rise of the Airedale and partly 
because he was not exploited like 
some of the other breeds. For the 
person wanting but one dog, how- 
ever, the Welsh terrier is an excellent 
companion, a good watch dog with 
all the terrier proclivities, such as go- 
ing to earth for game, and just as keen 
on rats and other small furred ani- 
mals as the other varieties. 

To the uninitiated the Welsh ter- 
rier is a miniature Airedale. In 
height he should be about sixteen 
inches, but should not have the ap- 
pearance of being leggy, nor on the 
other hand, of standing too low on the 
leg. The markings — that is, color 
and coat, are similar to the Airedale ; 
black or grizzle saddle, with tan head, 
legs and underbody. Like in Aire- 
dales, the rich deep tan and jet black 
bodies are most admired. His aver- 
age weight should be about twenty- 
two pounds, though a pound one way 
or the other is not a handicap. While 
white is not desirable, a small spot on 
the breast or toes does not disqualify. 



Suitable Breeds — Terrier* 25 

A dog that attracted quite a bit 
of attention at the New York show 
of 1922, was the Kerry Blue Terrier. 
There were only half a dozen speci- 
mens of the breed shown and as far 
as this country is concerned, it is a 
new variety, although it is said that 
it is one of the oldest of Irish breeds. 
The dog is essentially an Irish terrier 
in a blue-gray wire coat. It is said 
that the modern brick colored or 
wheaten Irish terrier is descended 
from the Kerry blue and that by gen- 
erations of selection in breeding the 
red coats were finally obtained, but 
it seems that fashion is again going 
back to the original colors and that 
is how it transpires that the Kerry 
blues are coming into vogue. This 
terrier has all the good qualities of the 
more modern reds. To the dog lover 
wishing to own a dog that is somewhat 
out of the ordinary, the Kerry blue 
will appeal-, though owing to the pres- 
ent scarcity, it is quite likely that 
prices will run high. 



26 Dogs as Home Companions 




THE WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIER, MOROVA. 

A very desirable small terrier which 
came into vogue twelve or fifteen 
years ago, is the West Highland 
White Terrier, one of the border va- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 27 

rieties said to be of ancient origin, 
but brought to his present perfection 
by scientific breeding and selection. 
The general appearance of the West 
Highland white terrier, as we know 
the breed today, is that of a small, 
game, hardy-looking terrier, pos- 
sessed of considerable self esteem, and 
like all good terriers, has that "var- 
minty" appearance that is such a dis- 
tinguishing mark of this group of 
dogs. He is a stockily built animal, 
showing strength from every angle, 
short legs, deep in the chest, with ribs 
extending well to the powerful loin; 
very strong in quarters and in fact, 
with all of his strength, he impresses 
one as having considerable activity, 
which he really has, for there is no 
quicker and more nimble terrier on 
four feet than the West Highlander 
when it comes to a fight with rats or 
other "varmints," even much larger. 
The color of the West Highlander 
is pure white; any other color, the 
creamy or grey shade, is objection- 
able. The coat is also very impor- 
tant and fanciers of the breed are 



28 Dogs as Home Companions 

more particular about this feature 
than any other. As a matter of fact, 
a coat that meets with the perfection 
that the standard calls for, is rare in- 
deed. We hear much of the so-called 
double-coat, but in this breed it is 
demanded. The outer coat consists 
of harsh hair, about two inches long 
and absolutely free from curl. The 
under coat, which resembles fur, is 
short, soft and close. • It is a real 
weather-resisting jacket such as we 
want on Airedales and various other 
wire-coated terriers, but which is 
found so seldom, even in this variety. 
The West Highlander weighs from 
twelve to eighteen pounds; bitches 
usually ranging from the minimum 
figure to sixteen pounds, while the 
dogs average about two pounds more 
to the maximum weight. In height 
they measure from eight to twelve 
inches at the shoulder. For the pros- 
pective owner, who does not object to 
white dogs nor to the long coat, the 
West Highlander white terrier will 
make an excellent companion, though 
his comparative scarcity will prob- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers '2!) 

ably keep the prices at a high figure 
for some time to come. 

A near relative to the West High- 
lander is the Cairn Terrier, a dog of 
similar size and characteristics of the 
other Scottish varieties. The dog is 
not very popular at this date, but be- 
ing a newly cultivated, though an old 
breed, the prices are still prohibitive. 
In all essentials, however, the Cairn 
terrier will fill the same place as any 
of the small terriers. 

The ever popular Scottish Terrier, 
or Scottie, as he is more affectionately 
called, is virtually one of the near 
relatives of the two breeds just de- 
scribed. He has been long and slow 
in coming to his own in this country, 
but having once attained a foothold 
in America he is likely to retain his 
place when many of the creations of 
faddists are forgotten. He has been 
becoming more popular every year 
as a show dog, though he never will 
attain the popularity accorded some 
of the other terrier breeds. What is 
more significant, however, he is rap- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 31 

idly making himself more and more 
endeared to the one-dog owner. As 
a companion about the premises, the 
house or the stables, the Scottie is par 
excellence. A first class vermin dog, 
an alert watchman and game to the 
core, the Scottie will indeed fill the 
requirements of anyone wishing to 
own one small dog, for size and all 
other conditions must sometimes be 
taken into consideration. 

The general appearance of the 
Scottie is that of a sharp, bright, 
active dog. His expression is his dis- 
tinguishing mark, for he is always on 
the qui vive, ready, as it were, "for 
something to turn up." The head is 
carried well up. He appears to be 
higher on the leg than he really is ; 
this is due to his short, wiry coat, 
which is like bristles, and about two 
inches long all over the body. He 
has a compact appearance, neverthe- 
less, his legs seem to be endowed with 
almost an abnormal amount of bone. 
His back is short, his ribs well sprung, 
his loin and quarters well filled up 
and in every essential, he is power- 



32 Dogs as Home Companions 

fully put together. He carries his 
ears erect and they are always alert. 
His eyes are small and of a very dark 
hazel color, his tail, which is never 
docked, is about seven inches long and 
is carried with a slight upward bend, 
which under excitement is apt to be 
carried still more gaily. In height he 
should be from nine to twelve inches 
and in weight the maximum is twenty 
pounds. Dogs going over that are 
considered too large. Of recent years 
this breed has been becoming more 
popular in all parts of the country and 
at the present time good specimens 
may be bought at a very reasonable 
figure; that is, puppies at weaning 
age, or a little later. Naturally, more 
matured dogs, with the earmarks of 
becoming bench show flyers would 
still command a price that the aver- 
age one-dog owner would not care to 
pay for a mere home companion. The 
breed is very intelligent and easily 
broken to all the natural pursuits of 
the terrier. 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 



33 




THE SEALYHAM TERRIER, BARBERRYHILL 
GIN RICKEY. 



The Sealyham Terrier is another 
breed that has come into popularity 
recently, and with an active club here 
in America to foster it, it has made 
rapid strides during the past four or 
five years. In the eyes of the tyro he 
is a short-legged, over-weighted wire- 
haired fox terrier, although the stand- 
ard emphasizes the fact that he should 
not resemble the latter breed either 
in character, expression or shape and 
such resemblance "should be heavily 
penalized." As a matter of fact, in 
head properties there is nothing to in- 
dicate the fox terrier in a Sealyham 
of correct type. His head is of a dif- 



34 Dogs as Home Companions 

ferent formation. The skull is wide 
between the ears and as the dog is 
describes as being the ideal combina- 
tion of the Dandie Dinmont and the 
bull terrier of twenty pounds in 
weight, this skull formation is sup- 
posed to be the mien between the two. 
It is slightly domed and rounded, 
with practically no stop and a slight 
indentation running down between 
the brows. The jaws are long, power- 
ful and level, much wider and heavier 
than in the fox terrier. The nose is 
black and the nostrils wide apart. The 
ears are of medium size and set low, 
carried closely against the cheek, 
which characteristic is insisted upon 
since a forward ear carriage would 
resemble a fox terrier too much. The 
coat is dense and wiry; longer than 
that in which the wire-haired fox ter- 
rier is usually shown, and it should be 
especially profuse on head, neck and 
throat. The body is compact and the 
tail is docked and must be carried 
gaily. The color should be a white 
ground although patches of lemon, 
tan, brindle or badger-pied markings 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 35 

are permissible on head and ears, 
though black spots are objectionable 
and while they do not absolutely dis- 
qualify, dogs with such markings 
should be severely penalized. The 
size of the dogs should be from nine 
to twelve inches and bitches slightly 
less. Weight in this breed is not any 
particular criterion and very fre- 
quently a ten-inch dog may be so 
compactly and sturdily built that he 
might weigh twenty-four pounds, 
while a larger one of rangier type 
could easily go considerably less. The 
Sealyham's sphere is similar to that 
of the other short-legged terrier 
breeds; indeed, there are so many 
dogs of similar characteristics that 
the question has frequently been 
asked, "Why is a Sealyham?" 

The Dandie Dinmont antedates 
the Sealyham by many years and is 
a dog which became famous in litera- 
ture. It will be remembered by those 
who read Walter Scott that the hero 
for which the breed was named is 
Dandie Dinmont, one of the noted 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 31 

personages in "Guy Mannering." 
The quaint character is well drawn in 
this novel of Sir Walter, but his dogs, 
Mustard and Pepper, and Old Mus- 
tard and Old Pepper, etc., are even 
more minutely described. No doubt 
at that time this type of terrier was 
quite common in the border country, 
but it remained for dog fanciers to 
fix the name upon this particular va- 
riety. 

The size of the Dandie is eight to 
eleven inches at the shoulder and the 
length of the dog measuring from the 
top of the shoulder to the root of the 
tail should not be more than twice 
the dog's height, preferably one or 
two inches less. Weight ranges from 
fourteen to twenty-four pounds, but 
the ideal weight is about eighteen 
pounds. These weights are estimated 
for dogs that are in good working con- 
dition. The color is mustard and 
pepper and it was because of these 
uniform and pronounced colors that 
the quaint farmer in Scott's novel 
could not get away from the names ; 
all of them, as previously said, were 



38 Dogs as Home Companions 

Mustards and Peppers, either young 
or old. The pepper in the present- 
day Dandie Dinmont ranges from 
dark bluish to a silvery grey, but the 
intermediate shades are preferred. 
The Mustards vary from reddish 
brown to a pale fawn, the head being 
a creamy white. Nearly all speci- 
mens have a patch of white on the 
breast. 

The coat is the important point, 
and characterizes the Dandie Din- 
mont. The hair should be about two 
inches long; that from the skull to 
the root of the tail, a mixture of hard 
and soft hair, which gives a crisp feel 
to the hand, but the hard hair should 
not be wiry as in most broken- 
haired terriers ; the coat is in every 
sense of the word what is called piley. 
The hair on the under part of the 
body is softer and lighter in color than 
on top. The skin on the under body 
should accord with the color of the 
dog. 

The Dandie Dinmont is an odd 
looking creature, but game to the core 
and a vermin dog. He is also an ex- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 39 

cellent watch dog and does not hesi- 
tate to attack an intruder who might 
presume to trespass upon his master's 
domain. To those who want a rather 
out of the ordinary looking dog the 
Dandie Dinmont will be the answer, 
for he will not only attract attention, 
but also fill every requirement. 

The Bedlington is coated very 
much like the Dandie Dinmont, but 
stands up higher on the leg. He is 
described as the smartest, the largest 
and the gamest of the English ter- 
riers, but this was before the advent 
of the Airedale. His height is from 
fifteen to sixteen inches at shoulder, 
his back is slightly arched, while the 
dogs average in weight about twenty- 
four pounds, the bitches going slightly 
less. The origin of this dog is said to 
be in crosses in which the Dandie 
Dinmont and probably the otter 
hound might have figured. In this 
respect he approaches the Airedale in 
his early history. The Bedlington 
never became popular in this country 
and as a matter of fact, even in Eng- 
land he is not found in great numbers. 



40 



Dogs as Home Companion. 




WAR CHIEF OF DAVISHILL 



The Airedale is the largest of the 
terrier varieties. Indeed, he is such 
a large dog that he does not really be- 
long in that class, for while possessing 
most of all the other terrier attributes, 
he does not go to earth for his quarry 
and this, in the strictest sense is wha.t 
all terriers are supposed to do. Be 
that as it may, the Airedale has be- 
come the most popular of allround 
dogs, not only here in America, but 
in every part of the world. Whether 
or not too much "refinement" in 
breeding this dog for bench show pur- 



Suitable Breeds — Terriers 41 

poses will eventually ruin him for the 
allround utility dog that he is, still 
remains a mooted question, but one 
thing is quite certain; he has found 
a place in the hearts of sportsmen and 
this class will always breed types which 
will retain their usefulness, hence 
the history of this breed here in Amer- 
ica may eventually parallel that of the 
English setter, in that there are two 
types — one for actual use, the other 
for show only. It seems assured, 
however, that the useful Airedale and 
the fined-down show dog are growing 
wider apart each year. The reader 
who is especially interested in the 
Airedale, is referred to my previous 
book, "The Airedale for Work and 
Show." 

The Bull Terrier, a smooth coated 
white dog, makes an attractive animal 
for the premises. He may not be so 
certain as a companion for children 
unless brought up in their company 
from puppyhood, but he is a good ver- 
min dog and also a watchful guardian 
of the home. A pure bred white bull 
terrier without the admixture of bull- 



42 Dogs as Home Companions 

dog blood like one finds so many 
among the brindled varieties, com- 
mands a good price, but he is worth 
the money. Because of his pure white 
color he may not be so easily kept 
immaculately clean, but having a 
short coat, he is easily washed and in 
his case frequent bathing can do little 
or no harm, which cannot be said of 
a number of breeds. 



CHAPTER III. 

Suitable Breeds. Group Three — 
Medium-Sized Dogs. 

A S with the terrier varieties, there 
■*^ is a wide held for selection among 
the medium-sized dogs, both sporting 
and non-sporting ; consequently much 
depends upon what the dog is in- 
tended for. If any of the members 
of the household are inclined to sports 
afield, then one of the many varieties 
of spaniels would make a suitable 
house companion, for aside from be- 
ing an alert watch dog, he is a natural 
all round hunter and is equally good 
on upland game as on water fowl. 
Spaniels make excellent retrievers, 
very good grouse and quail dogs where 
the mere questing for and finding of 
game is desired, but naturally the dog 
should be educated for the purpose. 
Unlike the pointer, the setter, or the 
griffon, the spaniel does not point, but 
finds the game and flushes it in front 
of the sportsman ; in view of this fact 
he must be trained to quest within 



•44 Dogs as Home Companions 

gun range. This, however, is easily 
taught the spaniel, for all of the many 
varieties are intelligent animals and 
therefore easily educated.* A spaniel 
makes an excellent dog for ladies who 
enjoy field shooting, for the reason 
that he is so much more ^easily 
handled than any of the bird dog va- 
rieties, and peculiarly amenable to 
the gentler sex. 

As a guardian of the home the 
spaniel might not strike terror to the 
hearts of unwelcome intruders, like 
some of the terrier or other breeds, 
but they are good watch dogs, quick 
to give the alarm upon the approach 
of strangers, and besides, they are 
very docile and cleanly about the 
premises. There may be some objec- 
tion to the long coat, on the ground 
that if the animal is shedding, he is 
prone to leave stray hairs on rugs and 
furniture, but in this connection it 
might be said that daily grooming will 
ameliorate this evil to a great extent, 
for after all is said, a dog that is al- 
lowed to frequent the house even dur- 
ing only a small part of the day, must 



Medium-Sized Dogs 45 

be kept clean whether he is a long or a 
short-haired one. 

Of the many varieties of spaniel, the 
Cocker is the most popular. They 
come in all colors ; solid blacks, reds, 
creams^orange and browns, but if of 
the latter color, it should be of a rich 
liver and not the washed out shades 
which sometimes crop out in a litter. 
These off-color ones should be es- 
chewed if one wishes to conform to 
the standard. Neither should the 
whole-colored dogs have white on 
them, but a strip of this color on the 
chest, while objectionable, should not 
disqualify. The parti-colors are also 
very handsome animals. These are 
white and black, liver and white, 
orange and white, cream and white, 
and roans ; either blue or red. 

The standard weight calls for cock- 
ers ranging from eighteen to twenty- 
four pounds. Here of late it has be- 
come fashionable to breed them down 
to the minimum weight, but this is 
almost making toys of what was once 
considered one of the principal sport- 



Medium-S iz c d D ogs -AT 

ing breeds. If the prospective pur- 
chaser intends to use his dog for sport- 
ing purposes he is advised to select 
one from stock that will come nearer 
reaching the maximum rather than 
the minimum weight, for the eighteen 
pound cocker is entirely too small for 
utility purposes. As a matter of fact, 
some years ago twenty-eight pounds 
was the standard maximum weight 
of working cockers which is really 
more logical in a dog that is intended 
for field work. At all events, it is bet- 
ter to have a cocker over, than under 
the weight allowed by the standard, 
if one expects to make use of him 
afield. 

The cocker should be a neat- 
headed, wide-awake, serviceable look- 
ing little dog, with rather large dark 
eyes and an intelligent expression. He 
should stand on strong, well-boned, 
but short legs absolutely straight in 
front, with well bent stifles behind. 
His quarters should be muscular and 
powerful, especially when viewed 
from behind ; short in body when 
viewed from above, yet standing over 



48 Dogs as Home Companions 

considerable ground. He should, in 
short, give one the impression of a 
massive little dog, yet at the same 
time, he must have considerable speed 
and endurance. The coat is flat or 
slightly wavy, silky and very dense, 
with ample feather on legs and his feet 
should also be well supplied with hair, 
but the coat should never be curly. 
The stern is usually docked to a 
length of about two or three inches. 
This should be carried just below the 
level of the back and when the dog 
is working or animated, its action 
should be merry, but never carried 
gaily. 

The Field Spaniel may be described 
as a larger edition of the cocker; 
longer and lower in body in propor- 
tion to his general make-up, but a 
well-knit, massive dog, the males 
weighing from thirty-seven to forty- 
live pounds, the bitches about five 
pounds less. The true field spaniel is 
always black, though his near kin is 
the springer which comes in parti- 
colors also. There are various strains 
of the springer spaniel, as for instance 



Medium-Sized Dogs 49 

the Welsh and the English, but in all 
essentials they are identical. The 
difference between the springer and 
the field spaniel is that the former is 
usually shorter in body and higher on 
the leg. In the matter of intelligence 
he is fully the equal of the cocker or 
the field spaniel and for field work he 
is probably the most practical of the 
three, especially when it comes to re- 
trieving waterfowl. 

The Clumber Spaniel *is the largest 
of the land spaniels, the weight in 
males ranging from fifty-five to sixty- 
five pounds, the females from thirty- 
live to fifty pounds. He is a strong, 
sturdy, compact dog, with profuse 
coat, but a smaller ear of the V-shaped 
variety. In color he must always be 
white and lemon or white and orange, 
ticks on the head or fore legs add to 
his beauty. He should have few, if 
any markings on his body. This va- 
riety is not very numerous in this 
country, though in many parts of 
England he is used quite regularly as 
a sporting dog. 



50 Dogs as Home Companions 

The Sussex is another variety of the 
large land spaniels, smaller, however, 
than the Clumber, weighing from 
thirty-five to forty-five pounds. In 
color he is a rich golden liver. In this 
country he is practically unknown, 
but he is numbered as among the 
oldest of breeds in England. 

The Irish Water Spaniel scarcely 
comes within the province of this 
book. He is a large dog, standing 
well up on the leg. It is said that he is 
a cross between the Irish setter and 
the large poodle, but this may be all 
conjecture. At all events he stands 
as high at the shoulder as an Irish 
setter. In color he is liver; any 
white except on chest or toes, disqual- 
ifies. His coat is a mass of short curls 
back to his tail which should be en- 
tirely free from feather. On his skull 
he has a well-defined top-knot; in- 
deed, this is one of the distinguishing 
marks of the breed. As a house dog 
he is almost too large though for wild 
fowl retrieving under any and all 
weather conditions, he is par excel- 
lence. 



Mcdium-Skcd Dogs 



51 




THE CHOW, LORD CHUMLEY. 



Among the non-sporting medium- 
sized breeds, the Chow Chow stands 
preeminently to the forefront. He is 
a Chinese breed, like the Pekingese, 
and considering that he breeds very 
true to type, it is possible that he is 
of more ancient origin than many of 
much lauded "pure breeds" of 



our 



52 Dogs as Home Companions 

England. The chow is given credit 
for being a very intelligent animal ; 
he is a good house dog and a faithful 
companion. In size he is about like 
the old-fashioned Spitz dog from 
which the Pomeranian is descended. 
In color he should be either black, 
red, yellow, blue, or white, but the 
shade should run uniform except that 
the underpart of the tail and inside 
of thighs are frequently of a lighter 
shade. He carries his tail curled 
over his back; his coat should be 
abundant, dense, straight and some- 
what coarse in texture, with a soft, 
wooly undercoat. His ears are car- 
ried erect. He has a rather peculiar 
sour expression and his eyes are dark 
and small in all but the blues, in 
which a light color is permissible. 
One of the distinguishing features of 
a chow is his tongue, which in pure 
specimens is blue-black. His nose 
should also be black, large and wide. 
The chow became popular about a 
quarter of a century ago, then for a 
time the interest lagged, but of late 
years his popularity seems to be in- 



Medium-Sized Dogs 53 

creasing once more. The dog is per- 
haps among what one might call the 
high-priced varieties, but it is always 
possible to buy a "waster" which will 
answer the same purpose for a com- 
panion as the perfect show dog. A 
breeder of chows once said to me: 
"This breed has all the oriental mys- 
ticism about it that one finds in ev- 
erything that comes from the Far 
East; they seem to know what you 
are thinking about and at times, as 
they lie there on the rug, one imagines 
they are actually going to speak and 
tell you what they have on their 
minds. But once your friend, a chow 
is always your friend." 

The French Bulldog is another 
breed that has come into great popu- 
larity during the past fifteen years, 
especially among the ladies. As far 
as his actual usefulness is concerned, 
we cannot say much, although his 
admirers might probably take one to 
task if this statement were made in 
their presence. He makes a delight- 
ful companion, smooth of coat and 
clean in his habits. For the house 



54 Dogs as Home Companions 




THE FRENCH BULLDOG, CH. GUGUSSE. JR. 



he is probably one of the most de- 
sirable breeds among the many, even 
though his real utility might be ques- 
tioned. However that may be, the 
dog is popular and good specimens 
command high prices. 

In appearance the French bulldog 
resembles the Boston in many re- 
spects — that is, a Boston of the 



Medium-Sized Dogs 55 

heavier type and with uncut ears, but 
he is more muscular and substantial 
in appearance. His ears must be of 
the pronounced "bat" variety; his 
head, large, square and broad; skull 
almost fiat; the underjaw, like the 
English bulldog, is large, powerful, 
and undershot, with the muzzle well 
laid back and the muscles of the 
cheeks fully developed. The tail 
should be either straight or screwed 
(but not curly) short, and hung low. 
The eyes are wide apart set low down 
in the skull, as far away from the ears 
as possible. Back must be short, the 
chest broad, the forelegs straight and 
muscular and wide apart, while the 
hind legs should correspond in the 
matter indicating strength. The 
French bulldog standard calls for two 
weights ; dogs under twenty-two 
pounds and those of twenty-two 
pounds and not exceeding twenty- 
eight. The colors are any shade of 
brindle, though the darker the better. 
The novice looking for a good speci- 
men, however, should be careful 
about the absolute disqualifying 



56 Dogs as Home Companions 

points as for instance, other than bat 
ears, any mutilation, solid black, 
black and white, black and tan, liver 
and mouse color, eyes of different 
color (as they will come sometimes), 
nose other than black and hare lip, 
which is also a fault that frequently 
crops up and many unscrupulous 
breeders are apt to foist such unde- 
sirable specimens upon the unsuspect- 
ing novice who might be none the 
wiser. 

The English Bulldog is another of 
the "manufactured breeds" so gro- 
tesquely ugly that he is beautiful in 
the eyes of some. The bulldog will 
attract attention anywhere, but as to 
his sphere of usefulness in these days 
of his grotesque appearance, there is 
always room for doubt. There was 
once a time when the bulldog was a 
shifty and useful animal, but as he 
is at present bred, this quality has, 
to a great extent disappeared with his 
"improvement," although his admir- 
ers will claim stoutly that he is a good 
watch dog and quite intelligent. His 
very artificiality makes him a dog 



Medium-Sized Dogs 57 

which is difficult to rear, being sus- 
ceptible to various diseases to a much 
greater degree than most of the more 
normal breeds. 

Everyone, even he who is only re- 
motely interested in dogs, knows the 
Badger Dog, if not under this name, 
at least under his old appellation of 
dachshund, by which he was known up 
to the time of the World War when 
his Teutonic origin was expediently 
disguised under the name that he now 
bears. Owing to his length of body 
and his abbreviated legs he has always 
been known as the original "sausage" 
dog, for his length of body is several 
times his inches in height, which 
should be, at shoulder, only from 
7 1 / , to 8V5 inches. The weight is di- 
vided at bench shows, as for instance, 
dogs under sixteen and one-half 
pounds, bitches under fifteen and one- 
half pounds. Middleweights from 
the maximum lightweight division to 
twenty-two pounds. Heavyweights, 
dogs and bitches over twenty-two 
pounds. 

The badger dog, while not classi- 



Medium-Sized Dogs 50 

lied among the terriers, has the char- 
acteristics of that family, for he goes 
to ground for his quarry, and in every 
other way shows his terrier charac- 
teristics. ' On the other hand, he is 
also a fairly good trailer and, like the 
beagle, will hunt rabbits. As a house 
companion he is intelligent^ and 
cleanly ; his short, satiny coat fitting 
him eminently for a ladies' dog. The 
breed comes in a variety of colors: 
black and tan, all tan, all red, yellow- 
ish red and spotted in various shades. 
The Beagle, while not to be con- 
sidered a house dog, is small and may 
be kept very nicely in a small place, 
provided he is allowed to run and ex- 
ercise in the open every day and is 
given the opportunity to hunt his 
favorite game — rabbits — frequently. 
As a keen-nosed dog for his own 
sphere he has no equal, and having 
been bred for years with this sole pur- 
pose in view, his intelligence is con- 
centrated along these lines and not 
toward making him an allround home 
companion, but given the opportunity 
and the human companionship, his 



60 Dogs as Home Companions 




THE BEAGLE HOL'XD CH. IMPORTED CRUISER. 



intelligence may be improved to a 
wonderful degree. The beagle is in 
every sense of the word a miniature 
foxhound, ranging in height from nine 
to fifteen inches which is the maxi- 
mum; dogs over this height are dis- 
qualified at bench shows and beagle 
trials. The classification in vogue at 
the present time is dogs thirteen 
inches and under, and dogs over thir- 
teen and not over fifteen inches. 



Medium-Sized Dogs 61 

The Whippet, which is a miniature 
English greyhound, is a neat, cleanly 
dog, not perhaps a desirable com- 
panion when all essentials of an in- 
telligent dog are taken into considera- 
tion, but he is a trim animal, very 
distinguished in appearance, and 
short of coat, hence he is worth con- 
sidering on this account, if for no 
other. At the present time the whip- 
pet is coming into greater popularity, 
mainly because of the fact that bench 
show clubs are giving him ample 
classification and further, because as 
a racing dog he has gained quite a 
vogue in some parts of the country. 

Among the many intelligent non- 
sporting dogs is the Large Poodle, a 
dog somewhat larger than the chow. 
He is in every sense of the word a 
larger edition of the toy poodle, but 
a much more useful dog because of his 
size and superior intelligence. The 
poodle is one of the most readily 
trained dogs in existence today. As 
a trick dog he has no equals and he 
may be broken to retrieve from land 
and water with the same facility as 



Medium-Sized Dogs 63 

any of the sporting retrievers or 
spaniels. There are two varieties of 
the poodle ; the corded and the curly. 
The latter is the more common and 
also the more practical, for the corded 
poodle's coat is the most difficult of 
any among the canine race, to care 
for. The hair on the latter hangs 
from the dog in long rope-like strands, 
almost touching the ground and un- 
less it is given daily attention it is 
likely to become matted and soiled. 
The corded poodle is covered with 
short curls all over his body. It is 
customary to clip them about one- 
third ; that is, the coat is left on head, 
neck and front, extending well back 
of the shoulders while the loin, hips 
and back legs are closely clipped, 
leaving a tuft here and there and on 
the end of the docked tail. A well 
cared for poodle makes a unique ap- 
pearance. The breed comes in all 
black, all white, all blue and all red. 
The colors should be solid — that is, 
on blacks there should be no white 
and vice versa. 

A breed that promised to come into 



64 Dogs as Home Companions 

popularity some years ago is the 
foreign born Samoyede. Although 
it is not so many years ago that this 
breed lived in a semi-wild state in 
Siberia where reclaimed specimens 
were used for hunting bear, and by 
the natives of Lapland, he was used 
for rounding up tame elk. The 
samoyede is peculiarly amenable to 
civilization and the companionship of 
human beings. Fifteen or twenty 
years ago the breed was seen in fairly 
large numbers on the show benches 
of this country and England. After 
that there came a lull, but of late he 
seems to be gaining in popularity. In 
the far north he was used as a sledge 
dog like the husky and other arctic 
breeds. The dog is long-coated and 
in many respects resembles the Spitz, 
though he is larger than the average of 
those specimens. He may not be the 
ideal dog to have about in the home 
where there are children as he is of 
uncertain temperament, but he is a 
rather unusual looking animal for 
which reason he has gained a certain 
amount of notoriety. 



Medium-Sized Dogs 65 

The Doberman Pinscher, which is 
really a terrier possessing character- 
istics of the Airedale, is another dog 
which, when he once becomes fully 
known and appreciated for his ster- 
ling qualities, will become a more 
general home favorite. He is smooth 
coated, prick-eared and black and tan 
in color, weighing in the neighborhood 
of thirty- live to forty pounds. He is 
very intelligent and is as easily taught 
to perform the duties of an all-round 
'Varmint dog" as any breed in ex- 
istence. As a police dog he is said to 
be even more readily trained than the 
breed which is supposed to be a spe- 
cialist in that sphere — namely the 
shepherd dog — until lately known as 
the German or Belgian shepherd dog. 

While on the subject of the latter 
breed, it might be said in passing, that 
this dog is gaining in popularity each 
year. He is said to be intelligent, in 
fact he is easily trained, but here also 
is a breed which is somewhat uncer- 
tain in temper despite the stories to 
the contrary. As a watch dog he can- 
not be surpassed. For those having 



66 



Dogs as Home Companions 




THE l;'()BEKMAX PTNSCHER CH. BETEL 
DOBERMAN. 

country estates or large enough out- 
door space, this dog is a very desirable 
one, but it is scarcely possible to keep 
one of these in limited quarters. 

The same may be said of any of the 
larger breeds, and as this book is de- 
voted to the dogs that are suitable for 
the large towns and cities we shall 
refer the aspiring fancier who is bent 
upon going in for the large dogs to 
procure a copy of "Dogcraft," a 
former work of mine which gives the 
standards of all breeds, large and 
small. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Housing Problems, 

'"PHE proper housing of a dog is one 
-*- of the important, if not the most 
important questions in dog keeping. 
We are assuming that the budding 
dog fancier has decided upon what 
breed he wants to own and has found 
an individual to his liking. Perhaps 
the purchase has been made and he 
has brought his canine acquisition 
home to find that he has never given 
the question of housing him any 
thought. Under such circumstances 
he is in a dilemma. His new charge 
is like a white elephant on his hands. 
Naturally, if the dog is still a young 
puppy some make-shift arrangement 
may be made, perhaps in some odd 
corner of the house, but it must be 
remembered that all puppies, aside 
from the fact that they are not house- 
broken are also a nuisance in many 
other ways, for they have a special 
predilection for the master's slippers 
or some article of wearing apparel be- 



68 Dogs as Home Companions 

longing to the mistress of the house, 
and they take special delight in tear- 
ing such things to pieces for the mere 
amusement of the thing and because 
they must have an outlet for their 
excess of energy. Another chapter 
will be devoted to the early training 
lessons, so let us, therefore, in this 
chapter, take up the question of sleep- 
ing quarters and a playground for the 
youngster. 

Where the dog is a medium-sized 
one, or a toy, perhaps, it will not be 
necessary to provide out-door quar- 
ters except for exercising, and there- 
fore, an arrangement may be made 
for the new dog to occupy a place in 
the kitchen or basement, but it must 
be a place where he will learn to go 
either for the night or during the day 
time when he wishes a quiet nap all 
to himself. Personally, I am no ad- 
vocate for keeping a dog in the house 
night and day. It is true, many dog 
lovers do this and when the breed is 
no larger than say, a fox terrier or 
even a chow, the arrangement may be 
satisfactory enough, but never, under 



Housing Problems 69 

any circumstance, allow a dog to have 
the run of the house at all hours of the 
day or night. If you have decided to 
allow him to sleep in the house, pro- 
vide a box or basket large enough for 
the purpose. Put this in some corner 
in the kitchen or even in the base- 
ment, though unless this latter place 
is absolutely dry and subject to venti- 
lation, it is not a desirable place for 
sleeping quarters. In providing a 
sleeping place, whether it be basket, 
box or bench, it should be raised sev- 
eral inches above the floor. This is 
to obviate draughts which are sure to 
prevail in cold weather, for no matter 
how tight a door may fit there is al- 
ways a certain amount of cold air 
blowing in through the crevice at the 
bottom, and incidentally, this is one 
of the most frequent causes for colds, 
catarrh or even pneumonia. If you 
have your doubts about it, try sleep- 
ing upon the floor on a cold night 
yourself. If the dog be a toy breed, 
a shallow basket provided with a pil- 
low filled with pine of cedar shavings, 
or pine needles is a most suitable bed. 



TO Dogs as Home Companions 

The pillow should be covered with 
some coarse, heavy material that will 
not tear easily and should be a cov- 
ering that goes over the pillow proper ; 
the material inside whether shavings 
or pine needles should be encased in 
another cover. The idea being that 
the outer covering can be removed 
and washed frequently, for no matter 
how clean a dog may be, the canine 
smell will in time permeate the cover 
and it must be changed and washed at 
least once every two weeks if absolute 
cleanliness is desired. . For most of 
the larger breeds, a carpet or rug will 
be sufficient bedding. Loose bedding, 
such as shavings or straw is not to be 
thought of in the house. 

The box or basket provided for the 
bed should be large enough to permit 
the dog to lie at his ease. If a box is 
used, the better plan is to remove one 
side with the exception of a small strip 
at the bottom to hold the bedding in 
and of course, the top should also be 
removed. These sleeping boxes or 
baskets should be put out in the sun 
and air every week or so and when ne- 



Housing Problems 71 

cessity demands, they should be 
scrubbed with warm soap water, to 
which a few drops of Creolin-Pierson 
may be added. This will keep the 
sleeping box clean and obviate any 
possibility of vermin, for once fleas 
infest a place where a dog frequents, 
then all thought of housing indoors 
must be abandoned. 

Far the better plan, however, is to 
provide sleeping quarters in the ga- 
rage or stable, especially for the larger 
breeds ; in fact, all breeds except toys. 
In cold weather these boxes may be 
closed on top and on all sides, leaving 
only a small opening for entrance or 
exit. The advantage of this being 
that such boxes can be filled with 
good, clean straw in cold weather and 
there are very few dogs who cannot 
sleep comfortably and warmly in such 
a bed, even when the mercury is down 
close to the zero mark. Terriers, as a 
matter of fact, are very hardy and 
will really do better in an out-building 
ot this kind than in the house or base- 
ment. Naturally, one must be gov- 
erned according to circumstances and 



72 Dogs as Home Companions 

if the owner of a dog has no building 
on the premises, part of which may be 
used for his pet's quarters he can build 
a small house out of doors and pro- 
vide a runway in connection. Nearly 
all of the wire, or long-haired breeds 
will do well in these out-door kennels 
the year round, provided the bedding 
is warm, the box free from draughts, 
and a piece of carpet or burlap is 
tacked over the opening in the coldest 
of weather. This should be arranged 
in such a way that it is loose on the 
sides and bottom, so as to permit of 
easy entrance and exit. 

In building an out-door house for 
the dog it is well to adopt more 
modern plans than the old-time "dog 
house" closed on top and all sides 
with the exception of the door in 
front. This style has been in vogue 
and has answered the purpose for 
many a high-bred dog, but if the 
owner wishes to have something more 
elaborate he might build a small 
house having a hallway or vestibule 
before reaching the sleeping quarters 
proper. Such a house must be built 



Housing Problems 73 

double the size of the ordinary one 
to allow for the extra "room." It 
should also be so constructed that it 
may be opened from the top, either 
by supplying hinges to the roof which 
make it possible to raise either side, 
or the roof may be so constructed that 
the entire top of the house can be 
lifted off. This will permit of easy 
cleaning of the interior. It is well to 
keep the interior whitewashed. A 
coating of this every few months will 
aid very materially in keeping the 
place free from vermin. 

When it is possible to provide a 
runway or small enclosure where the 
dog may exercise in at any time he 
desires, it is far better than to chain 
him. These runways can be con- 
structed cheaply, of heavy mesh wire. 
In constructing this it must be with 
a view of making them high enough to 
prevent the dog from leaping or 
climbing over. A good plan to adopt 
is to build the fence and then put an- 
other strip of wire mesh a foot or 
eighteen inches wide horizontally 
from the top of the posts, allowing this 



74 Dogs as Home Companions 

to go on the inside, thus even though 
the dog is inclined to jump or climb, 
when he reaches the top of the fence, 
this extra width of wire will prevent 
him from going over. Another pre- 
caution must be taken against bur- 
rowing out. This is easily done by 
digging a trench and allowing the wire 
to go into the ground a foot or more, 
then filling this trench up with stones 
or brick and covering with earth. No 
dog will be able to dig under such a 
fence. 

If a dog must be chained to his ken- 
nel, as sometimes is the case, he 
should be given at least two hours of 
freedom every day. Far the better 
way is to extend a wire close to the 
ground, from the kennel to a post 
thirty or forty feet (more if possible) 
from this. The post at the far end 
should be driven or planted in the 
ground, allowing only enough above 
the surface to attach the wire to, for 
dogs have a faculty of getting their 
chains twisted about a post that might 
be dangerous or even fatal to them. 
A ring should be put on this wire to 



Housing Problems 75 

which the swivel of the chain may be 
attached. This gives the animal a 
certain amount of freedom and exer- 
cise, and it will soon become notice- 
able how he takes advantage of it. 
It is needless to. say that all kennels 
out of doors should be built of 
matched boards dove-tailed together 
so as to admit no draughts, further- 
more, the kennel should be placed on 
a foundation or on piles several inches 
from the ground. For more elaborate 
plans of kennels when more dogs are 
kept, the reader is referred to an 
earlier work of mine entitled "Prac- 
tical Dog Keeping for the Amateur." 



CHAPTER V. 

Becoming Acquainted — Early Lessons. 

Ty^HILE most any breed of dog 
v * under one year old will soon 
learn to adapt himself to new friends 
and environment, and therefore no 
stipulated time is imperative as to 
what age he should be, at the time of 
his purchase, there is something about 
the wee youngsters of eight or ten 
weeks old that appeals to all, and the 
general thing is to obtain your puppy 
shortly after he is weaned. 

It is true, there are some objections 
to this plan, principally because a 
puppy of this tender age is still un- 
broken to the house and is also more 
susceptible to the ordinary ills that 
beset the young life of practically all 
canines, but on the other hand, there 
is something particularly interesting 
in a wee puppy and he will, as a rule, 
soon become the pet of the entire 
household. As for the ills, with ordi- 
nary care, one can tide the young- 
ster over these much more easilv than 



Becoming Acquainted 77 

the novice may imagine. As a matter 
of fact, I would rather begin with a 
twelve weeks old puppy and break 
him to cleanliness about the house 
than I would a dog of one year old, 
for in a majority of cases, when 
purchasing a puppy of the latter age, 
you will be told that he is house- 
broken, when as a matter of fact he is 
not, consequently this education must 
begin at a rather late age. Another 
reason why the very young puppy is 
more satisfactory is because there is 
a greater interest in watching him de- 
velop physically as well as mentally; 
therefore, all things considered, I 
would advise selecting your dog when 
he is still a mere baby ; which means 
under three months of age. 

As for breed, that is a matter to de- 
cide according to your own inclina- 
tions. The young of all animals are 
interesting, but this is particularly so 
of dogs, irrespective of the breed. 
Even the veriest mongrel, as a small 
puppy, is a most engaging creature. 

Assuming that you have purchased 
your puppy and taken him home and 



78 Dogs as Home Companions 

he is one of those innocent-looking 
balls of fluffy hair from which a pair 
of sharp eyes protrude, and short legs 
carry his wobbly body about. Is it 
not only natural that everyone of the 
household will make much over him, * 
if they are normal human beings ? It 
will be noted that even though this 
bit of dog flesh is still less than twelve 
weeks old, how readily he will make 
up with them. A young puppy, still 
unaccustomed to the rebuffs of the 
world and the "slings and arrows" 
of canine fortune has confidence in all 
whom he encounters. His percep- 
tions are keen, however, and he will 
soon learn that there are some or at 
least one in the family to whom he 
may attach himself as his real master 
or mistress, and therefore this should 
be the person to teach him his early 
knowledge of household etiquette. It 
should be this person, also, who im- 
poses upon himself or herself the duty 
of feeding the puppy. Of course this 
is not entirely essential, but if it is 
left to one person, it may be generally 
taken for granted that the youngster 



Becoming Acquainted 79 

will be fed regularly and not too 
much. When the entire household 
looks after the feeding, the chances 
are that he will be too well cared for, 
and too frequent feeding is one of the 
banes of dog-keeping. An over- 
abundance of food is more dangerous 
than too little, although I am no ad- 
vocate of the starvation plan. 

The matter of feeding will be taken 
up in the next chapter, so let us pass 
on to the puppy's early education. In 
the first place, if a secluded nook has 
been decided upon where he is to 
sleep nights, he should be introduced 
to this the very first night. To begin 
by pampering him is only deferring 
a duty that must be done sooner or 
later. Assuming that he has a basket 
or box in the kitchen, the last thing be- 
fore he is put to bed, it is well to feed 
him. At this early stage the last feed 
in the evening may consist of milk and 
bread, or any of the puppy meals with 
milk poured over. Put him in his bed, 
turn out the lights and leave him. 
The chances are that he will not re- 
main in his bed, but come out and 



80 Dogs as Home Companions 

go near the door communicating with 
the other apartments of the house, 
and whine. Go to him, chide him and 
put him back in his bed, commanding 
him to lie down. This, of course, he 
will not understand at once and it is 
quite likely that for the first three or 
four nights he will make life hideous 
by his howling. However, it is sur- 
prising how soon he will learn that he 
must make the best of a new condition, 
for to him it is an entirely new situa- 
tion in life. Coming from his litter 
mates in a home where he has been ac- 
customed to the association of his 
mother, his brothers and sisters, it is 
quite natural that the nostalgia, or 
homesickness, should oppress him. 
Be firm, however, and make him 
"stay put" not only the first night, 
but every night and he will soon be 
broken of the night howling. 

All dogs are naturally cleanly in 
their habits and it will be noticed that 
even very young puppies will go some 
distance away from their nests to obey 
the call of nature, consequently when 
the puppy is brought into the home, 



Becoming Acquainted. 81 

correct habits may soon be taught. The 
principal care is to catch him in the 
act and then remove him summarily 
from the house. If he persists, a very 
slight tap or two and a word of repri- 
mand as he is being banished may as- 
sist' quite materially in making him 
understand. Some breeds are more 
easily broken than others. I have 
found Airedales and cocker spaniels 
very easy to break of uncleanly habits. 
Pointers and setters require more 
time, but on the whole, most of the 
medium-sized breeds can be broken 
very readily. The new owner should 
not lose sight of the fact, however, 
that he must not be too severe. Firm- 
ness and prompt action are the prin- 
cipal requisites that must be kept in 
mind in breaking a puppy, but bru- 
tality never succeeds. 

One of the earliest lessons that any 
young dog should be taught is his 
name. This should be chosen as early 
as possible and whenever the atten- 
tion of the puppy is to be attracted, 
he should be called by his name. All 
puppies will come to most anyone 



82 Dogs as Home Companions 

who will play with them. On such 
occasions it is well to give the young- 
ster his first lessons. Call him to you, 
using the name you have selected. If 
he comes to you, pet and fondle him, 
repeating the name meanwhile, and 
reward him with a choice morsel to 
eat. Thus, in a very short time the 
dog will learn to come promptly when 
called. Teaching to whistle may be 
done in much the same manner, either 
in a large room or in a yard. Blow 
the whistle when he is some distance 
from you and call his name immedi- 
ately after. He will be attracted, but 
will come at the sound of his name 
and not the whistle. By frequent 
repetition, however, he will soon 
learn to associate the blast of the 
whistle with the verbal command and 
come to you promptly, especially if at 
first he is rewarded with the ever- 
present choice morsel. 

If your dog happens to be a spaniel 
or one to be used as a sporting com- 
panion, retrieving is an accomplish- 
ment which is a very excellent one. 
Any dog will run after a ball if it is 



Becoming Acquainted 83 

thrown from him after his attention 
is first attracted. If one begins when 
the pupil is still quite young he may 
be taught to become a perfect re- 
triever through the "Play Method," 
as described in my book, "The Work- 
ing Dog and His Education." When 
the ball is thrown the command 
should be given to "Fetch!" The 
puppy will get the ball nine times out 
of ten, but he is likely to run away 
with it and toss it about in play. He 
should be induced to bring it to you 
or you must go to him, bring him to 
where you were standing when the 
ball was thrown and gently take it out 
of his mouth, repeating the word 
"Fetch!" As in the other lessons, re- 
ward him with a bite to eat. A little 
of this play every day will make him 
enjoy this pastime and in the end he 
will become a retriever. He may also 
be taught to retrieve from water in the 
same manner, although at first the 
ball should be thrown into the water 
only far enough so that the puppy 
need but get his feet wet in retrieving 
it. It may be thrown out farther and 



84 Dogs as Home Companions 

farther as the pupil progresses and in 
the end he will enjoy this as much as 
land retrieving, especially if he is a 
dog of the spaniel varieties. Aire- 
dales are also easily taught to become 
perfect retrievers. 

Another lesson which all dogs 
should learn is to remain at heel. 
First it is necessary to teach them to 
lead. Put a collar on the puppy and 
allow it to remain a day or two before 
going further. When he is accus- 
tomed to this, attach the lead and call 
him to you. He will likely pull back 
or buck jump a few times; keep a 
tight line and allow him to go as far 
as he likes. When he becomes pas- 
sive, call him to you and draw in the 
lead. He may pull back or he may 
be frightened, but pull him to you 
and then pet him and reward him 
with a bit to eat. He will soon learn 
to lead. 

After he once leads well then take 
him out with you on the street or in 
the park. If he pulls ahead of you 
draw him back and give the command 
"Heel !" He may remain behind for 



Becoming Acquainted 85 

a moment, but dart ahead again in a 
moment when he thinks you off 
guard. Check him up and put him 
back of you once more with the same 
command to "Heel !" If he goes 
along in this manner, fairly well after 
a few lessons, you have accomplished 
the first step. Later it may be neces- 
sary to carry a light switch which 
should be used on every occasion 
when the dog attempts to forge ahead. 
Only a light tap on the nose is neces- 
cary, but as it is given the command 
to heel should also be uttered. In a 
short time the dog should be taken out 
without the cord and kept at heel, but 
if he becomes unruly and does not re- 
main in his position the lead should 
be immediately snapped into the ring 
of the collar and he should be given a 
few more lessons of the earlier kind. 
Eventually he will understand that he 
rnust remain behind his master until 
the command is given to "Go !" or 
"Hie on!" and this latter command 
he will obey without much teaching, 
for it is the natural inclination of all 
dogs to run on ahead of their masters, 



86 Dogs as Home Companions 

and they will be prompt to take ad- 
vantage of the permission to do so. 

For fuller lessons on breaking, 1 
would suggest that the reader procure 
a copy of my former book, "The 
Working Dog and His Education." 



CHAPTER VI. 

The Food Question — When to Feed — 
Frequency of Feeding — Water, 

T^ITH but one dog in the house- 
" hold or on the premises, the 
question of food is not a serious one. 
The scraps from the table of a family 
of four should be sufficient to supply 
the entire ration of the dog, although 
occasionally it is advisable to give 
him a change in the way of scraps of 
raw beef, large, soft bones to gnaw 
upon, and by variety it might also be 
well, say once a week, to procure the 
meat or trimmings at your butcher's 
out of which a broth may be made. 
This is always a wholesome diet, es- 
pecially if it is poured over stale 
bread, dog biscuits or any of the 
bread stuffs that cannot be used on 
the table. 

First of all let me disabuse the 
reader of the old theory that meat is 
injurious for the dog. Taking the 
race as a whole, meat should form the 
principal diet. The dog is a naturally 
carnivorous animal and even though 



88 Dogs as Home Companions 

he has been under domestication for 
thousands of years his organs of mas- 
tication and digestion have under- 
gone only a very slight, if indeed, any 
change. With this in mind, the dog 
owner is enabled to feed intelligently. 
Naturally, change of environment 
from his wild state has made condi- 
tions different; he does not obtain 
the amount of exercise that his wild 
ancestors did, ranging and roaming 
about the country in search of their 
daily sustenance, consequently he 
cannot be fed entirely the same, but 
nevertheless the idea which through 
some unknown way became prevalent 
years ago that meat is injurious to 
dogs and likely to cause disease is en- 
tirely erroneous. The principal point 
to keep before one is the quantity of 
food and the frequency of feeding. A 
dog which obtains considerable exer- 
cise in the way of hunting, must have 
more meat than one that is exercised 
only an hour or two each day. This 
is but natural; the man whose pro- 
fession keeps him indoors does not re- 
quire the same substantial food of the 



The Food Question 89 

one who labors in the fields all day, 
and so it is with the dog. Ordinary 
intelligence should teach proper dis- 
cretion in this respect. 

Table scraps usually consist of all 
the necessary concomitants to a good 
ration. Bits of meat, bread crusts, 
gravies, vegetables, etc., all go to make 
up the waste from the table in any 
ordinary family. Bones, if they are 
large ones, may be fed, but bones 
from fish, poultry or small game 
should be eliminated if for no other 
reason but the possibility of their 
causing trouble in the intestinal 
canal. If one does not believe what 
trouble this may produce let him take 
the leg bone of a chicken or lamb, 
place them on a stone and strike them 
a sharp blow with a hammer. He 
will see at once that they are crushed 
into a hundred tiny splinters. One 
can readily imagine what havoc this 
may do if they should lodge in the 
stomach or intestines of a dog. Per- 
haps one might feed these bones to a 
dog throughout his entire life without 
ill results, but on the other hand, 



90 Dogs as Home Companions 

trouble might ensue, hence to be on 
the safe side, it is better to take no 
chances. 

Vegetables make a good bulk food, 
but they should be fed very sparingly, 
and then only in connection with the 
other food. There is little nutriment 
in vegetables for a dog; potatoes are 
of no value and are more harmful 
than beneficial and the idea that dogs 
must be fed garlic, tomatoes, onions 
and the like has been exploded long 
ago. A very little of these in the regu- 
lar food is passable, but do not at- 
tempt to make a vegetarian of your 
dog. Corn meal, in its place, is well 
enough fed occasionally, but as a reg- 
ular food it is harmful, especially in 
summer, as it causes skin irritations, 
because it is too heating. Oat meal 
is some better, and rice, perhaps, the 
best of all, but any of these foods 
should be fed only occasionally. Some 
breeds, such as Yorkshire terriers, 
Maltese and the like do very well with 
little meat and some say they should 
not have it at all, but even this is 
questionable. 



The Food Question 91 

In large kennels it is well to cook 
one's own food or make a bread com- 
posed of unbolted wheat, a little rice, 
meat and a few well cooked vege- 
tables, the whole to be thoroughly 
cooked and then baked into a bread 
in a slow oven which will cook it 
through and through so that it will 
keep for a long time, but the owner 
of one dog may as well dismiss this 
as unnecessary. To summarize : feed 
what the family table offers, procure 
meat from your butcher occasionally, 
for the broth and bones previously 
referred to, and do not overlook the 
raw meat, which should be shredded 
or chopped finely and fed three or four 
times a week in small quantities, for 
young dogs, but in larger portions 
for grown ones. It is also well to ob- 
tain large bones with the meat still 
clinging to them. Dogs love to tear 
the meat from the bones and they 
also obtain considerable satisfaction 
in gnawing the bones. Even puppies 
three months old and under may be 
fed raw meat in small quantities to 
good advantage, and from personal 



92 Dogs as Home Companions 

experience I have found that puppies 
thus fed will thrive better than those 
who obtain little or none of this kind 
of diet. 

For very young puppies the natural 
diet is milk, hence when you obtain 
your new dog, assuming that he is 
three months old or under, see that 
he obtains an abundance of this, but 
do not compel him to live on a milk 
and bread diet entirely. Feed him a 
dish of this in the morning; and it 
might be well to give him another 
small feed of this about ten o'clock, 
then again at two and so on, until he 
is fed about five times during the day, 
but some of the meals should consist 
of broth and cooked meat, with an 
occasional feed of raw flesh. Puppies, 
as they grow older, should be fed less 
often, and at four months, three meals 
a day are sufficient. At this stage, 
the first meal in the morning may 
consist of milk and stale bread, but 
the following ones may be of table 
scraps or the broth made from the 
meat obtained from the butcher, 
noured over stale bread of biscuits. 



The Food Question 93 

giving with the liquid also a sufficient 
quantity of the meat. At a year old 
the dog may be fed as any older dog 
is fed. 

The question of frequency of feed- 
ing matured dogs has been much dis- 
cussed. Many kennels feed but once 
daily and that meal is given in the 
evening. This should consist of as 
much in quantity as the dog will eat. 
The more humane method for grown 
dogs, however, is to feed a light meal 
in the morning and the heavy one in 
the evening. Most dogs thrive well 
on this, provided they obtain a suffi- 
cient amount of meat to keep their 
natural desire for flesh food satisfied. 
The dog owner will soon learn how to 
use discretion in feeding and obtain 
best results, but those who wish to go 
further into this food question are 
cited to my previous book, "Practical 
Dog Keeping For the Amateur." 

As to water, it must be borne in 
mind that the dog requires water at 
all times of the day or night and a 
vessel containing pure, fresh water 
should always be accessible. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Exercise — Gro o m ing — Washing, 

T^7HILE we all recognize the im- 
F* portance of good food as being 
conducive to a dog's well being, many 
overlook the fact that exercise, groom- 
ing and washing are almost equally 
essential. This is particularly true of 
exercise. No matter how well a dog 
is fed, no matter what his care may 
be otherwise, he will become sluggish 
and out of sorts if he is unable to ob- 
tain a sufficient amount of daily exer- 
cise and the more that falls to his lot, 
the less liable is he to disease, for it 
is a well-known fact among human 
beings that exercise is one of the es- 
sentials of life and by the same token 
this is so of the dog. Without exer- 
cise the animal will not assimilate his 
food and while the digestive organs 
will perform their functions for a long 
time, eventually they will do so under 
protest, for the food taken into the 
system is not properly oxidized, 
drainage is imoeded and the general 



Exercise, Grooming, Washing 95 

sewerage system becomes faulty. No 
drugs will regulate this condition of 
affairs effectively and in time the re- 
sult of this sedentary life begins to 
show in the dog's eyes, his coat, and 
even his nerves. Mange and various 
eczematous diseases are also likely to 
appear, and many other disorders are 
likely to follow. Consequently, if one 
takes upon himself the responsibility 
of keeping a dog he must see to his 
exercise as religiously as he does to 
his food. 

The question may be asked, how 
much exercise must a dog have in or- 
der to keep him in good condition ? To 
this no defined rule can be laid down, 
for dogs, like humans, vary and one 
must be governed accordingly. Most 
young puppies, because of their nat- 
ural exuberance of spirits, generally 
move about sufficiently of their own 
volition, and thus keep in good con- 
dition by this very natural process, 
but as the dog grows older he is not 
so prone to run and play, and there- 
fore must be encouraged. This exer- 
cise, it is scarcely necessary to say, 



9G Dogs as Home Companions 

should be given in the open. If the 
owner of a dog has a back yard where 
the dog may run and play out in the 
air and the sunshine, the question of 
exercise is not a serious one, but peo- 
ple who live in restricted quarters will 
rind it more of a problem. 

If one has access to a vacant lot, a 
common, a park, or other open space 
where he may allow his dogs to run 
unmolested, always provided he is at 
hand to watch them, then the question 
settles itself, but where this is not pos- 
sible there is only one other way and 
that is to take the dog out on lead, 
walking him from one to three hours, 
according to the breed and the re- 
quirements of the individual, for as 
previously stated, some dogs require 
more exercise than others. It should 
not be forgotten that a dog running at 
large covers five or six times the 
amount of ground that he could pos- 
sibly cover while on lead, and this 
must be taken into consideration. 
Naturally this requires time, but one 
may always find a spare hour or two 
mornings and evenings that may be 



Exercise, Grooming, Washing 97 

utilized in this manner, and thus 
owner as well as dog obtains good, 
healthful recreation. 

Another good way to exercise dogs 
in summer is to take them to a pond 
or river where they may swim about 
in the water, for nothing brings all 
the muscles into play better than 
swimming. Nearly all dogs can be 
taught to take to water, and some of 
the breeds as for instance Airedales, 
the spaniel varieties, and also pointers 
and setters, dearly love this diversion. 
After disporting in the water for an 
hour or so, if a plot of grass can be 
found nearby where the dogs can roll 
and dry themselves, it will not only 
add to the enjoyment of master and 
dog, but will tend to keep the animals' 
coats clean. 

Another point that should be borne 
in mind is, all dogs should be allowed 
to exercise in a manner that is com- 
patible with their natural habits. For 
instance, a beagle should be taken to 
the open and allowed to hunt rabbits, 
a bird dog should be turned loose in 
the open fields and terriers of every 



98 Dogs as Home Companions 

description should be given the oppor- 
tunity to dig for rats, mice or other 
"varmints." If this cannot be done 
every day, the dogs should be given 
this opportunity at least once a week, 
especially during the season when this 
is feasible. 

Summarizing, the owner must al- 
ways bear in mind that a certain part 
of the day his dog must be allowed the 
air and the sunshine. Even in winter 
when there is little sunshine, or on 
rainy days, the dog will enjoy being 
out and free for a short time. 

Grooming is another very impor- 
tant essential to the welfare of the 
dog. Every dog, no matter whether 
he is short or long-coated, should be 
brushed at least once daily and by 
brushing is meant good, vigorous fric- 
tion. For the short-haired varieties 
a short-bristled brush or a hound 
glove are the proper implements, and 
for the long-coated breeds a brush 
with stiff bristles from one and one- 
half to two inches long, is very useful. 
After this brushing, rubbing with the 
hand will put a polish on the coat 



Exercise, Grooming, Washing 99 

that is described by fanciers as 
"cherry ripe." Wire-coated terriers 
require some special treatment to 
keep their coats in show shape, but 
ordinary brushing daily and plucking 
of superfluous hair occasionally, will 
always tend to keep them presentable 
for every-day life. Not only is this 
daily grooming essential to keep the 
dog's coat free from soil and filth, but 
it tends to keep the blood in circula- 
tion, and to ward off skin troubles and 
also parasites, which despite precau- 
tions, will sometimes take up their 
quarters in the coats of the most gen- 
teel dogs. 

During the winter it is seldom nec- 
essary to wash a dog provided he is 
groomed daily, but in summer, a bath 
now and then is very beneficial to 
most breeds, although owners of some 
show varieties object to bathing their 
dogs on the ground that it softens the 
coat. However, the average owner 
will do his dog little, if any harm, by 
washing him once a week during the 
summer. To wash a medium-sized 
dog, an ordinary tub or Dortable tin 



100 Dogs as Home Companions 

bath tub will be found satisfactory. 
The soap used should be selected with 
some care. Those soaps containing a 
large percentage of alkali are not ad- 
vised, nor are the highly scented kinds 
desirable. The old-fashioned pure 
Castile is about as good as any and 
nearly all of the higher grades of tar 
soaps are good. The latter not only 
produce profuse lather, but possess 
excellent cleansing qualities and their 
ingredients have a salutary effect on 
the skin and hair. There are also a 
number of good dog soaps on the 
market, prepared especially for 
cleansing and freeing the dog from 
vermin, both fleas and lice, should 
they exist. In the summer nearly 
all dogs will acquire a certain amount 
of fleas and it is well to use either 
the prepared dog soaps or some 
other preparation that will kill the 
fleas. In this connection it might be 
said that a good flea exterminator is 
any of the creosote preparations to be 
used in one in fifty proportions. That 
is, to one part of the creosote prepara- 
tion use fifty parts of lukewarm 



Exercise, Grooming, Washing 101 

water. Saturate the entire coat and 
every part of the body with this prep- 
aration, but exercise care not to get 
any of it in the eyes or mouth. After 
the dog has been thoroughly satura- 
ted in this, he may be bathed with 
ordinary soap and water. However, 
the water should always be luke- 
warm, even in the warmest of 
weather. Not only will the luke- 
warm water cleanse more thoroughly, 
but it will not be so much of a shock 
as when cold water is used. For rins- 
ing, clear water, a few degrees cooler 
may be used. Be sure to dry thor- 
oughly with towels, but rub the way 
the hair lies. After drying with the 
towels the dog should be well brushed 
and if the weather is the least cool 
he should not be allowed out of doors 
for several hours after the bath unless 
he is kept in action. It is always well 
to give the bath several hours after 
his meals, or just before them; never 
directly after eating. 

Smooth coated dogs are more 
easily bathed than the long-haired 
varieties, as they can be dried very 



102 Dogs as Home Companions 

readily, but with the long-haired 
breeds extreme care should be taken 
in the drying process and the comb- 
ing out of the coat. It is scarcely nec- 
essary to add that the inside of the 
ears should be well dried. In wash- 
ing a dog, always begin with the head 
and work backward. The animal 
should be stood in the tub and the 
water applied with a dipper which 
should be ready at hand for the pur- 
pose. 

For some breeds, such as Maltese 
and Yorkshire terriers many prefer 
the egg shampoo to soap, although 
Yorkshires may be safely washed with 
the suds of the soap, by making a 
lather and immersing the animal in 
this. The formula for the egg sham- 
poo is to break up and lightly beat 
four eggs in each pint of water. Nat- 
urally, the egg shampoo is beneficial 
for any dog no matter what the breed, 
but it may be readily imagined how 
many eggs would be required to sham- 
poo four or five St. Bernards. 

In the event that frequent washing 
causes the hair to become unnaturally 



Exercise, Grooming, Washing 103 

dry, a mixture of glycerine and water, 
one part in four, is advisable. This 
may be applied before the dog is thor- 
oughly dried and the final hand rub- 
bing will bring all the sheen, life and 
luster back to the coat. Some kennel 
men use cocoa butter in place of the 
glycerine. This is applied by dipping 
a comb into the cocoa butter and go- 
ing through the hair with this after 
the dog has been dried. This should 
be followed by vigorous hand rub- 
bing. 

Reverting again to fleas, that bane 
of all dog owners, too much care can- 
not be taken to prevent these pests 
from obtaining the upper hand. The 
bedding must be frequently changed 
and the sleeping places thoroughly 
cleansed, but the dog himself must 
be watched. The creosote prepara- 
tions (and there are many of them) 
are considered the best exterminators 
and if used once a week in summer, 
no dog should harbor fleas, provided 
his sleeping quarters are clean. How- 
ever, some might object to this prep- 
aration on toy dogs and to those the 



104 Dogs as Home Companions 

following is recommended: Carbolic 
acid, one-half ounce ; laudanum, one 
ounce; bicarbonate of potassa, one 
dram; water, one and one-half pints. 
Pour a small amount into a hand 
basin and apply all over the body with 
a brush or sponge, rubbing it well into 
the skin. To those who prefer a dry 
form of exterminator, Dalmatian or 
Persian insect powder is recom- 
mended. The dog should be placed 
on a newspaper, the powder dusted 
well into the coat and allowed to re- 
main for a few minutes, after which 
it should be brushed out while the dog 
remains standing on the paper. After 
this process is completed, roll up pa- 
per, powder, fleas and all and burn. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

// Sickness Comes. 

T7^7HERE but one dog, or even two 
* * or three are kept in a home, the 
danger of sickness is very small, es- 
pecially if the behests as laid down in 
the preceding chapters are followed. 
Dogs in the home are not exposed like 
those which are kept in a kennel 
where new ones are constantly coming 
in and going out. Nor is the danger 
of contagious or infectious disease as 
great as when the dogs are exhibited 
at bench shows. Nevertheless, the 
highly bred dog is a fine-spun piece 
of mechanism and it is therefore best 
to know what to do as first aid in case 
sickness does come. To the novice, 
however, my advice is, send for the 
veterinarian, if a good one lives in 
your vicinity, as soon as you notice 
something seriously wrong with your 
dog. If no qualified canine practi- 
tioner is available, then seek the ad- 
vice of some dog expert, but do not 
resort to all manner of dosing for 



106 Dogs as Home Companions 

dosing's sake, as so many do, for in 
many cases too much medicine has 
led to more serious consequences than 
the illness itself. 

The principal disorders that the 
one-dog owner is likely to encounter, 
are probably distemper, worms, skin 
diseases, fits and other various tem- 
porary stomach and intestinal ail- 
ments, most of which right them- 
selves by the administration of a dose 
of castor oil or some other purgative. 

Very frequently a dog will go of! 
form due to overeating or perhaps be- 
cause of devouring something that 
was harmful, or possibly because of 
lack of exercise. In most cases this 
is only temporary and the animal will 
doctor himself, provided he has ac- 
cess to grass. Do not be alarmed if 
your dog eats grass upon occasion, 
even though he partakes of it co- 
piously. He is simply finding in this 
green element a nature remedy that 
will act as a conditioner. Fortunate 
is the canine that has the opportunity 
to do this, for he is thus finding a 
home remedy which is perhaps more 



// Sickness Comes 107 

effective than the most skilled vet- 
erinarian might be able to prescribe. 
Sometimes old dogs suffer from 
constipation and it is well, occasion- 
ally, to put a little olive oil in their 
food, or even resort to a purgative. 
One of the best ever-ready remedies 
1 know of is equal parts olive oil, cas- 
cara sagrada and castor oil. This 
may be mixed up and kept on hand 
indefinitely as there is nothing in it 
that will spoil. If your dog should 
go off his feed without showing any 
symptoms of something more serious 
coming on, give him, if he is a dog of 
from thirty to forty-five pounds, a 
tablespoonful of this night and morn- 
ing for four or five days, and he will 
soon come back to his natural form. 
For smaller or larger dogs the dosage 
should be graded accordingly. All 
dog owners, however, should know 
when a dog is coming down with 
something serious. One of the most 
dreaded ailments is distemper, a con- 
tagious disease which may be com- 
municated either by direct contact 
with a dog which has distemper, by 



108 Dogs as Home Companions 

being put in a place that was recently 
occupied by a distempered animal, or 
by associating with a dog which might 
be himself immune, but which had re- 
cently come from a place where he 
was exposed. In this manner such 
a dog is able to carry the disease even 
to some distant locality. Thus many 
dogs have been subjected to disease 
through their companions which were 
exhibited at bench shows, and which, 
though immune themselves, carried it 
home to their kennel companions. 

First of all it should be said that 
the normal temperature of the dog is 
from 100 to 100V> degrees when taken 
under the forearm or inside of the 
thigh. Taken per rectum it is one 
degree higher. This temperature may 
vary some in the larger and the 
smaller breeds, but it is the general 
average. If the dog appears listless, 
apathetic, refuses to eat and possibly 
begins to sneeze or water at the eyes, 
if his temperature has gone three or 
four degrees above normal, then it 
may be taken for granted that he is in 
the first stages of distemper. On the 



// Sickness Comes 109 

other hand, he may only show the 
dullness and the high temperature ; 
there may be no discharge from the 
eyes or nose, but a dry, husky tell-tale 
cough may be noted. Any of these 
forms are the symptoms of distemper 
and the victim should be isolated at 
once and the first act should be to ad- 
minister a liberal dose of castor oil. 
At this stage I have found it very 
efficacious to give quinine and hypo- 
sulphite of soda, each in two-grain 
doses, either together or one following 
the other within half an hour, four 
times a day. The dog must be placed 
in a warm and dry room and should 
not be allowed to go out for anything. 
The room should be kept at a tem- 
perature of seventy degrees, but must 
be ventilated by windows opening 
from above so that there can be no 
draughts with which the victim will 
come in contact. The disinfectant 
used should also be some dry form, 
such as the various sanitary sawdust 
preparations that are on the market. 
Any dampness in the room is detri- 
mental to the patient. The principal 



110 Dogs as Home Companions 

thing to remember in distemper is 
good care, for it will be found more 
effective than medicine, whether 
given in serum form or by mouth. 
The dog's strength must be kept up 
and to this end eggs, broth, and even 
finely chopped up raw beef in small 
quantities will be beneficial. Some 
kennel men object to the beef, but 
nevertheless many a dog will eat this 
where he refuses everything else and 
certainly nothing is more nutritious 
than beef. Every symptom must be 
combated as it arises and many com- 
plications are likely to set in. One 
thing must always be kept in mind, 
and that is, to make the dog take 
nourishment, for once he refuses to 
eat, then the case is practically hope- 
less. 

Those who prefer the serum treat- 
ment should begin giving it, as per 
directions, subcutaneously, with hy- 
podermic syringe. There are several 
good serums or vaccines on the mar- 
ket, but the one that I have had the 
most experience with is that put up 
by a Detroit laboratory. This firm 



If Sickness Comes 111 

makes not only a curative vaccine, 
but one known as a preventative. It 
is useless to give the prophylactic or 
preventative after the dog has once 
been exposed. Rather await the 
earliest developments and then begin 
with the curative and give the six 
doses as per direction. Begin with 
bulb number one and follow up at the 
intervals indicated until all have been 
given. In the meantime, however, ex- 
ercise the usual care in the way of 
even temperature in the place where 
the patient is confined and in the mat- 
ter of diet. This is imperative, no 
matter what treatment is being used. 
The prophylactic or curative treat- 
ment consists of three doses. It is 
also given with hypodermic syringe, 
subcutaneously. It is well to keep 
this serum on hand to use if one ex- 
pects to show his dog or run him in 
field trials, but the treatment should 
be given at least a month before the 
time he is to appear in public. The 
success of this serum treatment seems 
to be general, although many breeders 
have no faith in it. This mav be due 



112 Dogs as Home Companions 

to the fact that they begin too late or 
failed to follow instructions. The 
treatment is supposed to combat all 
symptoms that arise in the most viru- 
lent cases of distemper. 

The worst complication of all dis- 
tempers is that affecting the nervous 
system ; the brain and its membrane 
may become inflamed and fits follow, 
or the spinal cord and its membranes 
are attacked, in which event paralysis 
or chorea, or sometimes both occur. 
These can be overcome, but it is a 
long drawn out and a very uncertain 
thing. Generally, chorea occurs after 
the virulent phase of the disease is 
passed and it is mostly due to too 
early exposure. The patient should 
not be allowed to go out of doors or 
get excited in any way until the tem- 
perature has been normal for at least 
ten days. 

Common, sense and good nursing 
win out more times than all the medi- 
cine, but the complications as they 
arise must be combated. For in- 
stance, the eyes must be looked after. 
The discharge should be washed away 



// Sickness Comes 113 

frequently during the day with a 
warm boracic acid solution by dis- 
solving one teaspoonful of the boracic 
acid in half a pint of warm water. 
The following lotion should be used 
afterward as it will help keep the eyes 
clear: 

Chinosol 3 grains 

Water 6 ounces 

As the dog recovers from the dis- 
temper and the eyes have that opaque 
appearance so often noted, use an 
ointment made of 1 grain yellow 
oxide of mercury mixed with one 
dram of vaseline. Drop a bit about 
the size of a pea into the corner and 
rub well under the lids. Sometimes 
red postules will appear all over the 
underbody and occasionally on all 
parts of the body. This should be 
treated with the ordinary mange rem- 
edies. At other times the disease at- 
tacks the bowels, which must then be 
looked after. Try bismuth in ten 
grain doses for medium-sized dogs. 
If this does not stop the diarrhea, then 
the following mixture might be ef- 
fective : 



114 Dogs as Home Companions 

Powdered Extract of Kino 1 dram 

Powdered Ipecacuanha 8 grains 

Powdered Opium (5 grains 

Mix and divide into twelve pills. 

Dose, from one-half to two pills, ac- 
cording to the size of the dog, four 
times a day. After the acute stage is 
passed, then a good tonic is desirable 
and for this purpose either Le Roy's 
Condition Pills, Sergeant's or Glov- 
er's are useful. 

Another serious complication that 
frequently arrives is when it attacks 
the lungs, and this is not at all un- 
common; pneumonia being one of 
the situations to guard against. 
Where there is a sudden rise in tem- 
perature and the dog is inclined to 
sit on his haunches, bracing himself 
on his forelegs, which are spread far 
apart, and his breathing comes fast 
and sharp, it may be taken for granted 
that pneumonia is the cause. By 
placing the ear to the chest one can 
hear the labored breathing which 
sounds very much like someone walk- 
ing over frozen snow. 

If the dog is not already wearing a 
chest jacket make one for him at once. 



// Sickness Comes 115 

Sometimes strong liniments are effec- 
tive. But one of the simplest things 
to use is hot lard and turpentine. 
Grease the chest well with this, wrap 
flannels around him and put the 
jacket over all. Apply fresh turpen- 
tine and lard every two hours, until 
the breathing is easier. The follow- 
ing is a very good formula to use in- 
ternally: 

Extract of Belladonna V- 2 grain 

James' Powder 4 grains 

Nitrate of Potash 8 grains 

Extract of Gentian, enough to make one pill 

For medium-sized dogs make up 
twelve pills with the above ingredi- 
ents and give 1 three times daily. If 
the fever does not subside readily it 
might be well to give them drops of 
aconite in a tablespoonful of water, 
every three hours. Perpetual vigi- 
lance is necessary in the successful 
combating of pneumonia and as in 
every other phase of distemper, care 
and good nursing are most important. 
For a more extended treatise on dis- 
temper, "Dogcraft," third edition, will 
be of great benefit to all dog owners. 



116 Dogs as Home Companions 

Few dogs go through life without 
having Worms at some time in their 
career and in the case of puppies, we 
doubt if any ever escape these in- 
testinal pests. Usually the kennel 
owner or dealer, worms the puppies 
before he sells them, hence the future 
owner has little to fear, although it 
must not be supposed that when a 
vermifuge is given to a puppy once 
or even two or three times during his 
young life, that he will be forever free 
from worms. On the other hand, he 
is likely to have them at any time, 
though the danger of fatal results is 
far less. 

There are numerous remedies that 
may be used very effectively for the 
various kinds of worms, such as areca 
nut, santonin, pink and senna, 
kamala, etc., but I believe the safest 
plan for the novice is to procure any 
one of the reliable proprietary reme- 
dies that are on the market, for it will 
be less trouble to give these and there 
is little danger of going wrong, which 
might be the case were the neophyte 
to dabble with unknown drugs. 



// Sickness Comes 



117 



For Tape Worm — and many more 
dogs suffer from this than one might 
suppose — kamala and areca nut in 
equal parts is very effective. That 
is, for large dogs give two grains (one 
gram of each drug) to the pound 
weight of the dog after fasting twenty- 
four to thirty-six hours. One hour 
after giving the vermifuge the dog 
should have a liberal dose of castor 
oil. The symptoms of tape worm are 
varied. The dog may have a capri- 
cious appetite, his coat becomes harsh 
and stary, he looks thin and emaci- 
ated and he has a habit of rubbing 
his sides and back up along fences or 
buildings. His breath is usuallv of- 
fensive and his eyes lack luster and 
frequently form pus in the corners. 

In the South the Hook Worm is 
the bane of all dog owners and it is 
becoming more prevalent everv vear. 
Indeed, of late years it has been in- 
vading the North also, which is prob- 
ably due to field trials and bench 
shows, as dogs from the North are 
taken South where they become in- 
fested and thus bring the pests back to 



118 Dogs as Home Companions 

their homes. Recently a very good 
specific for hook worms has been dis- 
covered and from all accounts it is 
giving excellent results. The drug is 
carbon tetrachloride. The dose is one 
drop for each pound weight of the dog 
after fasting twenty-four hours. The 
drug should be placed in hard cap- 
sules and administered in that man- 
ner. It is not necessary to follow with 
a purgative as is the case with most 
other vermifuges. This new remedy 
has been given to very young puppies 
with the best results. It should al- 
ways be remembered, however, that 
the dosage should be one drop to the 
pound weight of the dog, no matter 
how large or how small he is. 

A dog affected with hook worms 
usually grows very thin, is dull and 
apathetic, his coat is harsh and un- 
natural, his eyes lack lire and he has 
little or no ambition, but the greatest 
tell-tale sign of all is his gums and the 
mucous membrane of his eyes. In- 
stead of being a healthy pink, they be- 
come white and waxy. When the 
gums and mouth are in this condition, 



// Sickness Comes 119 

then it is time to begin treatment for 
hook worms. 

One of the common disturbances 
that house dogs are subject to is Fits. 
It is rather disheartening to the novice 
to see his dog roll over suddenly and 
become stiff and rigid, for in most 
cases he is at a loss what to do. Fits 
arise from various causes ; through 
worms, constitutional nervous dis- 
orders, the aftermath of distemper, 
but in most cases with house dogs, 
because of constipation or indigestion. 
If the trouble is due to the two latter 
causes, then they may be easily over- 
come by a change of diet and more 
exercise, for there is where the trouble 
generally lies. The dog is fed heartily, 
frequently of indigestible food, he ob- 
tains little or no exercise and the in- 
evitable result is a disarrangement of 
bowels, stomach or liver. If the fits 
are the aftermath of distemper, the 
dog may outgrow them, but if they are 
constitutional, then little or nothing 
can be done. However, it is fits of 
the first order — that is, due to de- 
rangement of the digestive organs — 



120 Dogs as Home Companions 

which are the commonest among 
house dogs. The victim may sud- 
denly fall over, or he may remain on 
his feet, and if he does, the toe nails 
will dig into the rug or carpet in a 
way that once seen will always be 
recognized. These seizures are gen- 
erally easily overcome by applying 
warm applications to the abdomen, or 
hand massage. The victim, however, 
should be given a purgative once a 
day for several days, and if there is 
reason to suspect worms, a vermifuge 
is not out of order. Exercise him in 
the open every day, but do not overdo 
this at first. In severe cases an enema 
may be given once daily, for three 
days following the attack, in place of 
giving the castor oil. 

The more alarming cases of fits are 
seizures which attack highly-strung 
young dogs of an extremely nervous 
temperament. These fits usually at- 
tack the animal when he is out at ex- 
ercise and they cause such violent 
contortions that many an ignorant 
person might suppose the dog to be 
mad. A dog suffering in this way, 



// Sickness Comes "121 

may be going along nicely when sud- 
denly he will utter a distressing cry, 
stagger a few times and fall down in 
convulsions. While in this condition 
he will snap wildly at anyone or any- 
thing near him. Unless secured his 
next proceeding is to get up and run ; 
he seems to be wholly deaf to the voice 
of his master and does not even recog- 
nize him. Sometimes, after recover- 
ing from the attack, he will be unable 
to distinguish his master for several 
hours. The owner of a dog subject 
to such fits should take prompt 
measures to secure him while he is in 
one of these paroxysms, or he will run 
amuck when he arises and there will 
be difficulty in catching him. It is 
such dogs which frequently cause the 
reports of mad dogs being in a neigh- 
borhood and many a poor innocent 
victim is dispatched, an innocent sac- 
rifice, immolated on the altar of ig- 
norance. Naturally, the owner of the 
dog is not likely to have medicines 
near at hand w T hen his dog is thus at- 
tacked, and in such a contingency, 
the best thing to do is to dash cold 



122 Dogs as Home Companions 

water on his head and in his face, 
continuing this for several minutes. 
Get the dog home as soon as possible, 
then administer a dose of castor oil, 
or the preparation recommended for 
constipation, namely, equal parts 
olive oil, castor oil and cascara sa- 
grada. After this, begin a course of 
bromide ; the dosage being from two 
to fifteen grains according to the size 
of the animal, to be given twice daily. 
The food should be nourishing, but 
not too stimulating, and in small 
quantities at a time ; it is well to feed 
three times' daily, each meal to be 
about one-half an ordinary one. Re- 
move all causes of nervous excitement 
and build up the dog by common- 
sense treatment. 

Rabies is not common, but never- 
theless it is a real affliction of the 
canine race, consequently if your dog 
has been bitten by a supposedly rabid 
dog it is well to keep him isolated to 
watch results. Rabies may appear at 
any time from eight days to three 
months after being bitten by a mad 
dog, hence great care is essential. The 



// Sickness Comes 123 

disease can only be communicated 
through a bite or where the saliva of 
a rabid dog comes in contact with an 
abrasion of the skin. The owner of 
a single dog who never allows his 
animal to run at large except when 
he is present is not likely to ever en- 
counter rabies, but it is well to know 
the symptoms in case such a con- 
tingency does occur. Not all dogs bit- 
ten by a dog known to suffer from 
rabies is likely to contract the disease, 
hence one must not become hysterical 
at once and destroy the animal so ex- 
posed. Rather isolate him and watch 
developments. The disease, as is well 
known, is communicable to all ani- 
mals, even to the human species, but 
with the latter the percentage is very 
small indeed. 

The first symptoms are a rise in 
temperature from two to three degrees 
above normal. The dog will con- 
stantly lick himself at some particular 
spot which is probably the place where 
he was bitten and inoculated. The 
disposition of the victim undergoes an 
entire change. The cheerful one be- 



124 Dogs as Home Companions 

comes morose and sullen, the quiet 
one is restless, and the ordinarily 
good-tempered dog quarrelsome and 
inclined to hide in dark corners, al- 
though when called will generally 
come to his master and probably be 
very affectionate. Frothing of the 
mouth, as generally supposed, is not 
a symptom of the rabid dog. The 
mouth may be more moist than nor- 
mal at first, but it soon becomes dry 
and of a very dark red color. The 
rabid dog is very much inclined to 
attack others ; the timid pet without 
provocation will attack others much 
larger than himself and after biting 
his victim will emit a peculiar howl, 
which when once heard will never be 
mistaken. The rabid dog's voice un- 
dergoes an entire alteration which is 
one of the decided characteristics of 
the disease. It begins with a peculiar 
sharp bark and ends with a dismal 
howl. If the animal obtains his lib- 
erty he will wander for miles on a 
kind of dog trot, with head and tail 
lowered, going out of his way to at- 
tack dogs and other animals, but usu- 



// Sickness Comes 125 

ally remaining away from human be- 
ings, unless they interfere with him. 
In a day or two he will return to his 
home. He will refuse any kind of 
food, but he will gnaw at sticks, 
stones, timber or anything that may 
be near him. He will drink water 
until his throat becomes so swollen 
that it is impossible for him to swal- 
low, but even then he will attempt to 
drink by putting his nose in a pail 
or basin of water. He becomes 
weaker rapidly and if not killed, will 
die in four or rive days. 

In Dumb Rabies the lower jaw is 
dropped and the dog is unable to close 
his mouth. It is not often that a rabid 
dog will attack his master, but he 
will fly at a stranger without provo- 
cation. There is no cure for either 
form of rabies and as soon as one is 
convinced that the dog is suffering 
with the disease he should be put out 
of his misery by a painless death. 

As I have said, rabies is very un- 
common and many kennel men have 
gone through life without ever having 
seen a case, though it is the height of 



120 Dogs as Home Companions 

folly to dismiss the subject on this ac- 
count and proclaim there is no such 
disease. It is very real and should 
be guarded against. There are many 
cases of pseudo rabies that one hears 
about through the daily newspepers 
which are merely the creations of 
some fanatic or ignorant persons who 
would not recognize the true from the 
false if they saw them. 

Skin Troubles such as the various 
forms of mange and eczema are likely 
to occur occasionally though the 
owner of one or two dogs need not 
worry about this if he grooms his dogs 
and cares for them as indicated in the 
chapters of this book. A very good 
ointment to have on hand in case of 
skin trouble is the following: 

Flowers of sulphur 4 ounces 

Oil of tar 2 ounces 

Carbolic acid 2 drams 

Add this to twelve ounces of linseed 
oil and stir well in order to thoroughly 
mix the ingredients. Apply to af- 
fected parts or abrasions of the skin. 
It is scarcely necessary to say that 
when this ointment is applied to the 



// Sickness Comes 127 

dog's coat he must be forbidden to 
house unless one wishes to have his 
rugs, carpets and furniture ruined. 

Poisoning is one of the banes of a 
dog owner's existence, for one is likely 
to encounter the poison fiend any- 
where at any time. However, there 
are also many cases of accidental poi- 
soning. Whether accidental or other- 
wise, the majority of cases occur 
through arsenic, strychnine or pow- 
dered glass. 

From the symptoms displayed one 
can usually determine the kind of 
poison used. Strychnine causes pain, 
twitching, possibly vomiting and 
purging. In fatal cases, convulsions 
with prolonged spasms of the mus- 
cles, with more or less frequent re- 
laxation. This continues until death 
ends the struggle. 

Arsenic causes gastritis and enteri- 
tis, hence a burning thirst, vomiting 
and purging, the dog usually dying 
from exhaustion or collapse. 

Ground glass poisoning will pro- 
duce bloody discharges, great pain 
and distress and frequently vomiting 



128 Dogs as Home Companions 

of blood. There is no relief for the 
victim of such an experience and the 
most humane thing to do is to put 
the dog to death promptly by admin- 
istering chloroform. 

In the treatment of arsenical and 
strychnine poisoning, the primary ob- 
ject should be to get the poison out 
of the system as soon as possible. To 
this end emetics should be adminis- 
tered promptly, unless the animal is 
already vomiting freely. As an 
emetic, fifteen to twenty grains of sul- 
phate of zinc in a teaspoonful of wine 
of ipecac is very good, but if this is 
not at hand, anything should be re- 
sorted to that will produce the de- 
sired results, such as mustard or 
baking soda in lukewarm water. In 
strychnine poisoning every effort 
should be made to neutralize the ef- 
fect of the poison on the spinal cord. 
Bromide of potassium and chloral 
hydrate are the best. Either may be 
given to medium-sized dogs by mouth 
or rectum in twenty-grain doses. This 
may be repeated at short intervals 
until one dram has been given. In all 



// Sickness Comes 129 

cases of poisoning except phosphorus, 
which is very rare, oil may be given, 
also calcined magnesia or lime water, 
as they are harmless and protect the 
stomach mechanically. Other simple 
things, such as white of eggs, flour, 
etc., may be used with good effect. 
For arsenical poisoning the best anti- 
dote is hydrated oxide of iron. This 
can be prepared quickly by adding 
baking soda to tincture of iron so long 
as there is any effervescence. When 
the neutral point has been reached, 
it may be given freely in teaspoonful 
doses, every ten minutes. 



DOGCRAFT 

By A. F. Hochwalt 

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The Working Dog 
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The Modern Pointer 

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TWENTIETH CENTURY 
BIRD DOG 

Training and Kennel Management 

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